Saturdays and Sundays
by PatrickandLisbon
Summary: Patrick and Lisbon over one ordinary weekend. Lots of love and domesticity with banter, flirting, cooking, playing and kissing. Canon Jisbon.
1. Chapter 1

The Weekend

For the past decade, Patrick Jane only had his work to fill his days as the entire time that he was with the CBI, he had forsaken normal life for a life of guilt and vengeance. But when he was marooned in South America, he realised that he needed to face some face. A.) He didn't want to punish himself any longer by leading a solitary life. B) He needed someone to relate to. C.) The person he expressly wanted to relate to was his ex-boss Teresa Lisbon D.) Writing letters to Lisbon, and pining over no response from her didn't qualify as a relationship of any kind.

Honestly, it hadn't taken a lot of work to get Lisbon to work with him. He kinda knew she wanted do anything more exciting than doing sheriff duty in a beat town in Washington. Jane also knew that Lisbon had been in love with him, at least at her happiest when she worked alongside him, so it was natural that she would want to work with him now. "'Two years cant change a person that much, can it?" Of course, it took working with Lisbon again to face some more truths. Patrick realized that as he waited for her to come to work, brought her her coffee, and watched her remain seated at her desk while he was being partnered off with another agent, that he still pining and his Lisbon wasn't the same Lisbon he had left in California. This Teresa Lisbon kept her distance from him. She flirted and was courted by other men. This Lisbon _even_ had a boyfriend. That _never _happened ten years in the CBI. Lisbon now relied on Pike when Abbott or Kim were giving her grief and seemed impressed with "tasseled loafers" flying into dates in a private plane. Who was 'tasseled loafers' to fly in private jets and since when did this impress Lisbon? Sometimes Jane felt like a dog that pees all over his territory. But Jane knew the problem wasn't "no pressure Pike" or loafers or anyone else, it was him. Lisbon needed him to stop dancing around her and finally do something about it. That Teresa Lisbon was devoted to Jane. This Teresa Lisbon was weary of Jane. She looked tiredly at him now and retreated away from him. Best case scenario, it was self preservation. Worst case scenario, she had moved on from Jane. _"When did Lisbon move on?"_ For the past twelve years, with the threat of Red John looming large, Jane had disciplined his heart to be still. It hadn't prevented falling in love with her but it had crushed any hint of romance. Now, staying away from her was breaking his heart and he knew hers was broken too. Thats why she stayed away from him. So Jane knew that one day, she was finally going to leave him but living without her was like walking around with one sock on. Lisbon had made in clear to Jane that she didn't want to be his sidekick and she was already moving on. Jane had made complete use of their ambiguous nature but Lisbon's words and actions were clear now - shape up or ship out! In the end though, Jane didn't really have a choice. It had become impossible to carry on further without letting her know that she was the love of his life and yes, he loved her. Luckily, she felt the same way. He likes to tease her by telling her he called her bluff. She tells him to go to hell and take a toothbrush this time because she doesn't like funky breadth.

"Ha! You kiss me first thing in the mornings. Lady, wooh! Talk _about_ funkeyy!"

"Is that so? Well maybe you should get your daily quota elsewhere...Cho - there, by his table, looking divine." she shrugs her eyebrows in Cho's direction.

"Ha ha! Nah! He turned me down. I'm much more suited to pocket-sized-angry-princesses-who-secretly gorges on ice cream and is always fully loaded and hooked to girl power songs and sings in th-" his voice is becoming softer, like he is trying to seduce her in the FBI headquarters itself. She breaks his breadthy monologue -

"what?"

"yeh, no. I thought i was going somewhere with this but apparently I got nothing. Can we please leave now. Please Teresa? its Friday night. You can look at it on Monday. I will go through all this for you myself. Promise. Please. I was really looking forward to the weekend."

"You won't. But sure, my brain is tired and this is taking longer than necessary. I don't want to look at this for another two days!"

"Great. Its actually one of the sweetest surprises about having you, you know. Actually looking forward to not coming into work. Hasn't been like that in a long time. So."

"Patrick, Cho can die a spinster. Wiley, Kim can all die spinsters. You have to kiss only me, and funky breadth is garnish. Ugh. I'm already sorry I said that."

"Ha ha! Well, you make me laugh. But no sweets for my sweet in the office." Patrick makes a mopey face because he knows why.

"Nope. You'll break their hearts and all."

"Ha ha! True." He knows that that is absolutely not true. The only one who wants him is the one who is currently taking his hand in hers and walking out the bullpen with him.

"Kim?"

"Kim." They both drop the subject at that.

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By the time that are both really awake the next morning, its close to noon. Teresa's hair is still wet from her bath as she sits on her bed with her legs in front of her with Patrick's head on her lap. He so often crashes on her lap... in the park, in the airstream or at home that he's begun to call her stomach his "landing pad" in his head. While he rests on her lap, Lisbon runs her fingers through his hair. Meanwhile, Patrick is offering rather unwanted commentary throughout the show-

"This is a really unbelievable show, I don't know why you watch it. It's clear who the killer is. It's obvious the way the actor is playing the part."

Lisbon doesn't respond. She continues looking at the screen while running her fingers through his hair.

"Do you find the lead detective attractive, is that it?" asks Patrick.

"Meh", replies Lisbon.

"Meh? So you do find him attractive! It's all right Teresa, I'm not jealous. It's better you watch the show because you think this *monkey* is hot than actually think this is a credible plot." He is waving his hand in the direction of the TV.

Lisbon, who has been running her fingers through his hair, yanks a clump in her hand.

"Ouch!"

"Well, I'm trying to watch the show!... You said you wouldn't watch it, I remember someone telling me he was going to the kitchen half hour ago!"

"All you think about is food, woman! Food and this monkey. This is after I woke you up with coffee."

Lisbon scrunches her nose and reminds him, "and kisses."

"Oh, that _as well_" Lisbon knows he is pushing a point but she also knows him well enough to not take his rant seriously. This has always been his way of angling for her attention. The advertisements on playing on screen and instead of fast forwarding through them, she lets them run and looks down at him. He senses this and turns his face toward her. He's stops his commentary for a moment and looks at her. His face breaks into one of those smiles he wears to charm her.

_"_Hi!"

"Hi._"_ Lisbon replies but she is partly pouting. It's the irritated pout she gives him when she turns monosyllable at his unwanted behavior. His smile widens. Its possible that he finds her pout pretty darn cute.

"Oh, ho ho ho Teresa Lisbon!" he's chuckling but she continues pouting. His smile immediately flattens and he makes his voice soft. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it unpleasant for you. It's your show but I like it here", referring to his head on her lap.

Lisbon brushes the stray hairs away from his forehead. She is a little pissed with him but she also needs to reassure him that all she is, is a little pissed. _"_Yeh? I like you here too", she says as she scrunches her little nose. She would never deny him her lap, her touch, her kiss and she gets that he needs _*this*_. He pretty much hovers around her on a near constant basis. At work, he kinda always engaged her in banter or tried to catch her eye. Now, Jane also tries to steal kisses in the interrogation room but mostly he just "brushes" past her more frequently than is deemed coincidental cause Patrick also understands that he, being a man, might not be water-cooler gossip if he is caught kissing his girlfriend but his girlfriend, being a woman is more likely to feel compromised in the work place. Its a sad world that referred to his boss as "Little lady" and in the past four years, the world hasn't changed much. He knows how his girlfriend is made to bare the cross of her gender often in her line of work.

On weekends though, their touches linger. Like today, Patrick is looking up at Lisbon, who is now gently rubbing her thumb across his forehead. He can tell she loves him because she is returning his look with equal ease and wearing a small smile, like there's a secret she is keeping from him. After some time, Patrick closes his eyes for a moment and then turns his head into her stomach and starts to take deep breadths.

"Are you inhaling my scent?" _She knew it, _man clearly has a thing for sniffing people.

_"_Sweet Orange Blossom Butter. Yum."

She lets him nuzzle her stomach for the time being but then the show is back on and she knows his commentary will start again so she purses her lips and asks, "Hey Baby Roo, wanna make me something to eat?"

He chuckles sleepily, "The show is back on, isn't it?"

"Yep. Chop, chop."

"HA!" he barks.

She can feel his laughter on her stomach. It's making her a little ticklish as well, but then he gets up and goes to the kitchen to fix her a sandwich. _"_Mayo or Mustard?"

"Both", she replies from the other room. She has moved down the bed now and is sitting closer to the television with her legs crossed. He comes into the room with a bacon, egg and tomato sandwich for her. "Thanks! I love you!" she shouts after him as he dashes into the bathroom to bathe.

By the time she is done with her sandwich, he is freshly bathed and in a pair of faded jeans and a loose sweat shirt for the day. He has only towel dried his hair so it's sticking out in all direction. He looks beautiful like this, well at least, to her.

She pauses the show and looks towards him. _"_Hey. Thanks for not putting the lettuce in there. I never really cared for it. How did you know?_"_

"It doesn't have personality." says Patrick as he slides onto the bed.

She looks at him with a coy smile and an all knowing twinkle in her eyes, like she's surveying him, "You don't always make sense but You _always_ know what to say..." it comes out sing song and very flirty.

It makes Patrick blush.

"They're going to do the big reveal now. Wanna guess how the killer did it?" They've switched to neutral mode now. Well, it seems like Lisbon has.

Patrick? Patrick is nothing if not strategic. He is lying at an angle so his feet are off the bed and his head is close to where she sits. At eye level, all he notices is a small patch of skin between her top and pajama. He stretches out and places his thumb on the exposed skin. He starts to caress that part of her.

_"_Patrick?"

"Huh..."

"Wanna guess?"

"Nope"

"Riiiiight..." she just rolls her eyes, fully aware of what he is doing.

He has a hunch that it was the grieving widow who shot her husband. The dead guy was having an affair with his student. Oldest story in the book. He lets it drift away and returns to the patch of skin. With every stroke, he feels the need in his other fingers to clench down on her endless skin. The meeting of his callused thumb and her supple skin feels soft and heated. Lisbon had slapped on her body notion, something she only has time for over the weekend. Patrick loves the weekends. He presses into her skin and sees the dent regain its smoothness. Everything feels fresh and renewed. He slowly outlines the edges of her garment. The heat radiating from her hip seems to increase, encompassing more and more of her skin every time he strokes an outline of the exposed patch but he remains constant. His hands don't drift away or around it.

"Teresa..."

"Uh-huh" Her voice sounds a little high and tight around the throat.

He looks at her knowingly because he knows he _has_ her now.

Of course, Lisbon's never given in easily before. She raises her eyebrows at him in nonchalance, "So, last chance. Still up for it?"

In any other world, this would seem like a demented flirtation but this is *_them*_. She gets bossy, even as she is surrendering herself to him and he lets her lead, while still counting his battles. He guesses that Lisbon being his boss for a decade might have something to do with this dynamic but he is smart enough to not analyze something that clearly works. He likes her struggle for control. In fact, it turns him on, which is why he quickly extracts his fingers from her. She lets out a strangled moan. He continues on unfazed, "Yes, right, okay, so it was the widow and she shot him in the evening but the neighbor thought it was the morning cause she is a cranky old lady with no sense of time. The husband was having an affair with his student. Nearly all teachers are narcissists. Et Voila!"

Then he looks at her and his soft voice returns, "Was I right?"

_ "_Dunno yet. What's the clue?"

_"_The birds. They chirp at sunrise. Neighbor didn't hear them chirping."

"Kay, let's test your theory mister. I don't think its the wife, she seems nice. Maybe the mistress, something's off about her...and Detective Paul Duccan is _not hot_."

"Defensive much?" Patrick quips as he looks towards the screen. He got part of it correct except the wife didn't kill him, the mistress did, because she couldn't handle him returning to his wife.

"I like you going with your instinct. Good work Teresa."

_"_She looked more flustered than the wife. It looked like an act."

_"_Well I got the killer wrong." he quips.

All Lisbon says is, "Nicely done on the birds. I didn't see that coming."

Lisbon doesn't jump to point out the wrongs or to tell him "I told you so". In fact, she rarely does. Her reaction isn't entirely drawn from being sweet on him or condoning his aggrandised sense of sense but knowing that he is already so self-critical. He lives with more regret than any man should and he tries his best, maybe as a way of making up. Its commonly assumed that the way Lisbon was with Jane put him back together and kept him sane, and she doesn't think she there is any reason she should start treating him differently now. So she carries on with her summation of her show, "Damn shame he fell for the student though. He had a good woman who loved him."

He quips quickly, "But how could he not. He had a willing slave in his student. She hangs onto his every world as opposed to a nagging wife. And the student's young and pert. That doesn't hurt... It's a make belief world Lisbon. It's his mid-life crisis. That's obvious."

"Yeh, I know..."

Lisbon suddenly perks up, "So when was your mid-life crisis, or rather where is your mid life crisis?" She ducks her head down as if to find a nubile girl hiding under their bed.

"Aah! Funny. I get it. I'm an old man. True."

"Stop...You're not old." She flops back onto the bed, on her back and stares up at the ceiling.

He is staring at the silhouette of her button nose and small floral lips, "Come here, come on", he pleads.

Lisbon scoots closer to him and turns her head in his direction. Following her movement, he lies down next to her and looks down at her with his head perched on his hand.

His voice is soft and rich, "I'm crazy about you."

"Touchè"

And like that, it's back on again. His fingertips are crawling to touch her.

He leans down towards her and kisses her on her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips, her nose, "wait, wait, your cute little nose deserves more loving" he says as he pecks her on her nose a few more times until she squinches it in her usual manner. His hands skim over her body. It feels like they're everywhere. Lisbon isn't wearing a bra and it makes sense since she is at home and not going out anywhere but he also knows why she also wears clothes with easy access on the weekends. Patrick *_loves*_ the weekends. They're necking and Lisbon is just thinking how much her boyfriend really really likes her boobs when she starts giggling at the thought. It's just so silly. Its her giggling that makes him look straight at her and say, "Darling, you just got the herpes."

With the straightest face, Lisbon replies, "You did know I have chlamydia right?"

Patrick is laughing into her shoulder now. His smile is making his eyes go crinkly. Sex between them is intense and romantic but it's also fun and about making the other person happy. Its true that Lisbon feels abashed and goes quiet when he stares after her or gets her overtly sexy dresses and Patrick blushes when she compliments his gentle eyes but they also just really enjoy each others company. It's a blessing that they have been able to work that into their romantic relationship. Right before entering her, Patrick will look devotedly into her eyes and announce, "Did I mention my transsexual operation?" or when they are giddy in afterglow, she will hand him a glass of water and tell him in the most deadpan voice, "same time next week?" It's often her quick wit and smarts that makes him blush when he recounts the previous night in his head.

Truth is, Patrick Jane has always been attracted to Teresa Lisbon; he just hasn't acted on it until recently. He knows his self denial in the past hasn't only hurt him. He hurt her too but he always had a thing for her round eyes that look like magical green orbs and when she nudges his head with her shoulders and holds her gaze, as if asking him to kiss her, he _has_ to swoop in and kiss her. He turns so he is on his back, looking up at her. He puts his hand around her neck and deepens the kiss, which makes her moan.

"Wanna top?", his voice comes out shallow.

"Uh-huh"

"So hot" he says as he slips his tongue into her mouth.

He knows he's always liked the feisty ones and starts to think about how his little power dater flips his switch. He can't stop smiling and she suddenly breaks the kiss. "Teresa, woah, why?" Patrick's incoherent and flapping like a fish. "I keep eating my hair. Thats why you were smiling?" He doesn't respond but just watches her as she sits up and scrambles through her drawer to find a band to tie her hair. "Sheepdip, it should be here!" "Teresa, please. Just please don't. I love your hair when it falls on me. It smells like flowers and citrus and _you_._" _She listens to him and presses down on his crotch. His breadth is so, so shallow, _"_Darling, do you want to sit on my lap instead? That way, your hair wont fall in your face and you can still be on top." Teresa, still a catholic, blushes at his casual sexual reference but more than that; she is so damn touched by his offer. Besides she is a total sucker for sweet Patrick Jane, and he is being so sweet and giving right now. She lowers herself beside him. Patrick Jane just looks at her confused. She looks up at him and says through her smirk, "You can have me any way you want._"_ It takes some time but he finally gets it and scrambles to get to her. Lying on top of her, they kiss each other. She opens her legs to make room for him between them. Patrick is peppering her jawline with kisses. Sometimes making out like this is foreplay and other times, it's enough.

"Reese, what are your thoughts on love bites?"

"Huh?". Teresa is too blissed out to answer.

"love bite, hickey, love freckle, knot blot?"..."knot blot? Doesn't sound right." he mumbles to himself.

"Patrick." she warns sternly.

"I'm just asking. I think they're romantic". He moves to her neck and sucks a little bit and licks at the bruise that's forming.

"Tacky"

He nips her neck. _"_Liar!"

He licks that part of her neck and continues kissing and sucking it.

"Then why do you ask if you know?"...

..."And I know you've given them to me so don't deny it."

He looks up. "I wouldn't deny it. Never." Patrick Jane is a hopeless romantic.

He returns to her neck and then his eyes land on her breasts.

"Lisbon, you gotta know, I love your Tamales!"

She has to laugh at what a dork he is. He is _such_ a boy. She is still chuckling when she feels him tug on her sweatshirt.

"wait a sec." He sits up and away from her body to watch her shuck off her clothes. as she shucks off her sweatshirt.

She stretches her arms out and takes his hand and places them over her breasts. He brushes his thumbs across the patch she placed his hands on. She just looks at him, and lets him take his time. Having Jane for a lover is delicious.

He stays seated on his folded legs but he curves his body towards her and touches and pecks her breasts. She lies back down and he follows, kissing them. He drags his lips across them and then closer, around her nipple. He sucks and licks it until it's hard, moving onto her other breast. She cards her fingers through his hair and looks at his hair follicles, a burnt brown that turns to dusty blonde. She thinks how everything about him is sexy. His sad gentle eyes, his broken smile which he is quick to reshape into a beaming grin, usually directed at her, his hair that goes in all directions. She watches him taste her till he can taste himself on his tongue. She feels the tug and needs to ground herself. She is just short of yanking his entire head of hair off, so she takes her hand off his head and clutches the sheets around her. Patrick fumbles for her hand and holds it in his. Its best when both reach out to each other to feel grounded. Patrick moves towards her stomach, kissing and licking down her stomach. She can feel the slow pleasant heat flooding and pooling in her stomach and wraps her thighs around him. She hold his face in her hands, as if to bring them up to her face, as a way of asking him to not move further down. That this is enough for her now. He thinks Lisbon's tight hold of his hand could break his bones any moment now but he doesn't care. Her body is swelling and subsiding with him and she has started to roll her hips into his. Her voice is already hoarse and encouraging. She tightens her grip around his hip, "God, I love having you on top of me." She keens into her pillow. He knows he will lose it the moment she starts to pant his name. "Teresa, baby"_,_ he starts to rock into her, "Baby, you're so hard…Oh oh god yes". He breaks the moment she utters his name, "Patrick, baby". There is no space between them but he still hitches her hips forward to lock them even tighter. His pace has become frantic and Lisbon is starting to shudder, "You're gonna make me come, this, this..." Lisbon is shamelessly whining, crying and pleading.

"Darling, open you eyes. Please." he pleads.

"eeyeahhh."

Patrick will never get used to the needy noises Lisbon makes.

Lisbon is thrashing under him. She can't keep her eyes focused. All she has in her power now is to turn her head into her pillow and arch her body and keep a steady, mostly incoherent chant. "Baby, baby, please, please let me…oh oh, there…just, don't stop… love you...oh god I'm gonna come, I'm gonnaaaa… fuck, fuck me, fu-aah aah!,…Pat…Patrick, Patrick, Pat-."

Teresa suddenly stills and comes first. Patrick rocks her through her orgasm and continues until he comes soon after. He still wants her so bad, he's drooling. He wipes his saliva on his arms, feels giddy about salivating for this disheveled girl and whispers into her ear, "I want to taste you._"_ She can barely communicate at this moment but she lifts her hips to show that she is ready but they come crashing down in a second. Her legs feel wobbly and she isn't even standing.

He looks at her, still trying to catch her breadth, eyes closed and her fingers scrambling in the air, hoping to catch Patrick's face. Jane says, "wooh! honey, save some for later!" to which she only makes an annoyed little grunt.

He looks at her with a wide wolfish grin cause tapped out, hoarse voiced, shorn off motor control, sweaty Teresa Lisbon is the LOVE OF HIS LIFE!

She tries to remove her pyjamas but her arms still feel like jelly. When she's regained her breadth, he removes her pyjamas for her, while watching each other's eyes and then hauls himself over her to retrieve tissues to clean them up. Jane doesn't break eye contact when he cleans them. Its much more romantic to look at each other than tend to this irritating demand that comes with afterglow. "Okay, move, time to spoon"

"-"

"Spooning or hugging? I favour spooning. Its a little stuffy today."

"How can you talk so much after sex?"

"Right, come on. turn around. Need to put my arms around you. Good girl."

He rips the covers from under them aligns with Lisbon, taking place of the big spoon behind her.

"Ugh, need to get groceries."

"Hmmmmm."

"Come with?"

"Hmmmmm."

"Patrick?"

"Hmmm?"

"Oh, now you wanna sleep!"

"-"

"Fine. Enjoy the citrus hair."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

II

They wake up late in the afternoon. Lisbon brings him his tea. She's put on an old flannel shirt and a pair of pants.

"Patrick! Patrick!" Its gentle enough. She isn't too keen on waking him up so soon. She doesn't want to get caught ogling her boyfriend's face. He will never let her live it down if he found out. She brushes the hair off his face with her fingertips and doesn't really call out his number louder than a whisper but she still has a cup of tea with her and he really wakes up to the smell of the tea over anything else.

"Hey. You're awake."

"Uh-huh. Thought I would wait until the absolute last minute." she says as she puts on her slip-ons.

"You ready to leave?"

"Yeh, You can sleep in if you want. I'll be back soon enough."

"No, no. I'm coming. Ready in a jiff." he says as he swings his legs off the bed.

"We aren't at work. This isn't you sleeping on your couch at work, you can't just leave like this!"

"No, of course not. Just pass me my pants."

"-"

"Thanks. could you add some stuff to your list? Cereal. And fresh strawberries, they're in season."

"Sure. Wanna drive?"

"Thanks. You're sweet." Patrick is still pretty mussed with sleep when he stands up and and gives her a kiss on the lips, "Thanks for the tea. You're the sweetest. Seriously."

"Where you going? Eat something. You hadn't eaten lunch."

"Aah! No biggie. I ate some beans from last night when I was making your sandwich." he says as they both walk out of the bedroom.

"Yeh, well, that's not enough." she says from behind him.

Patrick stops in the corridor and as she comes forward, beside him, he gives her a kiss on her cheek. In the gentlest voice, he says, "Yes Boss!"

"I'm not your boss…._",_ But Patrick has already left the room to rummage through the folded laundry for a fresh shirt.

Lisbon thinks how her days are now peppered with kisses and two tooth brushes and how he plays with her hands when he's thinking - When did they acquire these habits, when did he become a familiar? When does a person start to become one of your own? When does a person start to belong to you? She's kind of stuck on that thought when he breaks her reverie by extending his hand towards her, "come on partner."

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"So I have onions, tomatoes, smoked cheese, eggs, Darjeeling, Camomile, apples, oats and bread on the list."

"Milk?"

"We have milk, at least a liter. Strawberries, you wanted some. Anything else?"

"Yeh, could you put bay leaves on there, and basil. I thought I would make a pasta sauce."

"Uh-huh. Lemons? Do you feel we need lemons for any reason?"

"Not particularly."

Lisbon surveys the list she is adding to.

"So this is keeping house with the mighty Lisbon."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. I like grapefruit for breakfast. We could get that. Anything you like -"

"Wait, let me add that."

"Anything you like that I could make for you?"

"Take a right here_. _Your eggs are good. We can do a big breakfast tomorrow."

"Big meal? Can we have morning sex? Please Teresa."

She looks up from her pad at him through her lashes, "We need to carry on straight and then take a left at the next crossway and the supermarket is to the side."

"Geez, Teresa, slow down with the foreplay will you? This is no place for dirty talk!"

Her laughter is full of mirth.

II

Standing at the threshold of the supermarket, Patrick decides to go get a cart and heads towards the fresh foods while Lisbon picks up a basket and goes into aisle two for the eggs, oats, tea and stuff. Between the dried bay leaves and the camomile tea, she notices that there are a lot of firsts on her list. She would be caught dead trying to guzzle down a herbal tea. Good, strong, black coffee is the drink of law officers but if the best cop she knows shirks it for a Lady Grey, it must be alright. Just NOT for her.

She goes to look for the person she is buying this for and walks around the aisles. She goes past the oils, breakfast spreads, cold meats, salad bar, bouquets of tulips, breads and baked goods and finally catches him at the far end, smelling every granny apple before piling them into his cart. Most people buy it by the dozen but Patrick thinks each apple smells different. This is also the man who she has seen soaking orange peels in water and pinching bella donna from homes of suspects, in his dire, demented craving for tea so who knows what plans he may have in store for these apples or apple peels or whatever. The best cop she knows hates guns, and coffee and likes the smell of apples, fruit and flowers and her lotion.

Patrick catches Lisbon wearing a sweet faraway smile across the aisle.

"Hey, where were you?"

"huh? Oh hey!"

She joins him, pressed side by side, and leans into him as they both checklist things off the piece of paper that is their guide this evening.

"We need to add butter to the list. Live a little."

"I never said anything."

Patrick adds butter to the list.

II

"Are we loaded up? Everything in the trunk?" Lisbon is strapping her self into the driver's seat.

"Almost."

Patrick twists his body, fishes under his seat. Lisbon looks puzzled until he presents her with a bunch of white tulips. "Et voila!"

_"_For me?._"_ She recognises them from the kind that was being sold in the supermarket.

"When did you get these?"

"That would be spoiling the fun." He blushes bashfully. He's playing coy.

"Thank you. They're beautiful." She moves closer to him to kiss him.

Patrick's eyes are sparkling, more than usual.

"You know Lisbon, there is no age limit to necking in a car."

"I know. Worthy of a bumper sticker."

"Ha ha!"

"Come here. Let's give teens a run for their money."

Patrick winks at her and he closes the distance. She knows he is a man who schemes but sometimes he schemes to make her day delightful and memorable. She deepens the kiss while the faint scent of the tulips fill the car.

II

While Lisbon finds a vase to put the flowers in, Patrick starts to empty the groceries into the fridge. He also empties supplies he had brought from the air stream earlier but were lying in a box in a corner. They could have a minor freak out that things are moving so fast given its only been three months but her commitment phobic boyfriend mentioned bringing his stuff over on his own and he doesn't seem freaked out and Lisbon knows when to leave matters alone. Besides, her eating habits have improved three hundred percent given her home now actually has someone who cooks. His stuff includes various sauces, spices, rice and pastas. While Jane fills the cupboards, he chuckles to himself because Lisbon's keeps a kitchen a little like a student would: enough for sandwiches and cereal. There is other stuff that he has stashed around the house. It started with some shirts and a tooth brush but then he noticed that she had emptied two drawers in her dresser, had rearranged shelves to make room for his books, got more coat hangers,and filled the fridge with marmalade. He loves it but Lisbon would die rather than eat that stuff. The bathroom rack now permanently has two fresh towels instead of one. Teresa Lisbon is an excellent human being. In fact, he would recommend Teresa Lisbon to everyone if it didn't sound like a deranged proposal and if he wasn't as territorial over her. He's pretty sure that it was because of their loyalty to her, that Grace, Rigsby and Cho even supported him in his hunt for Red John. He'd known almost from the start that witnessing Teresa Lisbon go about her life was a privilege but being allowed an all access pass to her intimate world was a treat. Jane gives a thought to how all this should freak him out but it doesn't. Maybe because, even with all the ifs and buts, Lisbon had always been part of some fuzzy, vague, retirement plan he imagined for himself. Kudos to the girl for actually giving him a life and not a retirement plan. He sneaks a peek at her from the kitchen. She is walking around the house with her flowers.

Patrick plans to make them pasta and sauce for dinner and he's wondering if he should reheat the greens from last night or make the squash they bought when Lisbon walks into the kitchen, still carrying her trophy of flowers.

"Lisbon, do you want squash for dinner? Its six so I thought I could start on the dinner."

"Squash. Fancy." Its not but he realizes his girlfriend eats like a student.

"Anything for you, m'lady"

"So do you want me to cut, clean?"

"Do you want to put those flowers down first?"

She looks at them again. Freshly reminded of his kind gesture. "Thank you. They really are beautiful."

"Thanks. I'm happy you like them. You can cut the tomatoes. Now, do you want to put on some music while we make dinner."

Lisbon places the flowers on the counter, keeping them within her viewing range and then goes to the bedroom and retrieves the iPod and speakers. Sam Cooke?

"Beautiful! Great choice Lisbon!"

_Darling, you-ooo-ooo-ooo send me, I know you-ooo-ooo-ooo, you- ooo-ooo-ooo send me. Darling you do, Darling you do/Darling, you- ooo-ooo-ooo thrill me….". Patrick serenades Lisbon in the kitchen. _It's never taken much to get Patrick Jane to start acting goofy. He lets the song drift into the background as returns to the sauce. Teresa chops the tomatoes,"I love the old stuff. We had this record, like a mix of top Motown songs. My parents would listen to it when we were kids. We continued to listen to them with our dad. Jimmy would cry to "You Can't Hurry Love". Every damn time."

"Its not a sad song"_,_ Patrick points out.

"Its not._"_ confirms Lisbon rolling her eyes.

"Tommy was even worse. He would only want Smokey Robinson tracks. They were the saddest."

"What was yours?"

The water for the pasta is bubbling now. Patrick empties the packet into the boiling water.

"The tomatoes are chopped. Should I add them to the garlic?"

"In a minute. Teresa, should we put olives into the sauce while its cooking? We could try and see what it tastes like."

"Go ahead. You're the boss."

"Teresa, oh I think we both know, I'm not the boss." His voice goes soft and then looks at her.

"In the kitchen you are and in the bed, I am. Now?" She's wagging her eyebrows at him and directing his attention to the tomatoes. It shouldn't be this sexy. It really shouldn't.

"What - yes, yes."

She adds the tomatoes into the frying garlic. Patrick takes the sage out of the oven and adds in the smoked leaves.

"So what was your song? You never said."

"On that record?" … Lisbon looks at Patrick with puckered eyebrows, "My Girl by The Temptations." Her eyebrows relax. It's pretty easy for him to segue into that one as well. "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day/When it's cold outside I've got the month of May", he croons. Teresa joins him. "I guess you'd say/What can make me feel this way? / My girl (my girl, my girl)/Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl." They don't really care that they are singing adjacent to 'What Becomes of the Broken Hearted' but they sing quietly enough that it reverberates as muffled sounds in the rest of the house. "I've got so much, I've got so much…" Words fail them both. "Honey! Honey!" Patrick recalls. They begin again.

"I've got so much honey, from the birds in the trees.

I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees."

Wait, that doesn't sound right. Patrick makes a hand movement to suggest moving forward with the song, "I guess you'd say/What can make me feel this way? / My girl (my girl, my girl)/Talkin' 'bout my girl, my girl."

He is watching her eyes and his voice becomes softer as their singing winds down till its at its softest and sweetest, as if he could convey how full his heart feels through an overplayed pop song. As if she could understand what he gives to her by not kissing her at their work place, by singing silly love songs, by making her home cooked meals.

The smoked sage starts to perfume the sauce.

II

Patrick remains in the kitchen but Lisbon leaves to collect the clothes for laundry.

She returns, "Patrick, just leaving. Do any of your shirts run colour?"

"Nope. They're white."

"What about the caribbean Casanova ones?"

"Caribbean Casanova! Ha ha!"

"Maybe I can wash the designs off them."

"Nooo! They're of sentimental value."

"Oh okay."

"No, I'm kidding. I don't care about them. They're just clothes and the only ones that were available when I needed it. Of no importance other."

"Okay, so I'm leaving now. Anything else?"

"You don't have to wash them."

"I was just going to load them with mine."

"I meant to Lisbon, I swear. I just left the shirts in there cause of carelessness. I'll do them."

"Patrick, I'm just doing mine now and my load is still light. Adding your stuff would actually help."

He knows that's a total lie but she is offering to wash his clothes for him so the protests happily die in his throat.

"Nothing runs color. Its all safe."

"Great." she kisses his lips before leaving.

"See you. Be back soon! I'll be here."

The Ipod is now playing 'Ain't No Sunshine'. It's a pretty great track so he makes it louder.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone/

It's not warm when she's away/

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone/

And she's always gone too long/

Anytime she goes away/

Wonder this time where she's gone/

Wonder if she's gone to stay/

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone/

And this house just ain't no home/

Anytime she goes away.

Patrick checks the pans and throws the diced squash into the oil with rosemary. He runs the pasta through cold water and transfers it into the sauce. And then he makes himself a cup of tea.

Lisbon still hasn't returned, and as the squash softens and the sauce thickens and bubbles, the song swirls around him-

_I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know…_

Patrick retrieves a book from the bedroom and is seated on the kitchen counter, reading it when Lisbon returns. He had checked for salt and turned off the stoves some half hour back. He hops off the counter to make coffee as soon as he hears the door click.

"Hey! Want coffee?"

"Yes, please. You're a saviour! Ugh! I need to go into the laundromat again. The dryer was broken. Should be okay in an hour."

Since folding clothes while they are still hot requires speed, Patrick thinks he will accompany her so they can do it together. Besides, if he shares the workload, he gives her companionship and buys her time, which is nice for her. Plus, it doesn't hurt that they will be folding clothes that they soiled together. Its a nice reminder even if nothing else comes of it. He looks down at himself and mutters, "Twelve years a celibate and now you decide to turn into a horn dog. Geez."

"Patrick?"

"Huh?"

"I was asking if you want to come for a little walk later. We can get the laundry done faster. Couples folding. Beats a life on the beach, doesn't it?"

"Well, you have to accept life for what it is. You'd be happier Lisbon. And folding laundry together is a beautiful thing, Lisbon. And the clothes are washed, and smell clean and warm. Its something we do together. We share our load. That's intimacy. Something you only do with someone you love. I wouldn't do it with a stranger. Hey, pick up the pasta bowl and take it to the table, would you? Thanks."

He carries on his soliloquy as they take the pasta and squash to the table. Patrick has already laid it out with the cutlery and plates.

They sit at the table, "I've never folded clothes with anyone. I'm a couples folding virgin."

"What? Even when?"

"Even with my wife. Needless to say, I was too busy conning people. Wait!"

"Grace?"

He returns to the table with her flowers, "Nope, your flowers."

"Thanks." Lisbon says a quick grace while Patrick looks at her and only pierces his pasta once she finishes. They have their dinner around the little table that doubles up as a dining table. It's not extravagant but the food is tasty and warm.

"This is delicious. Where did you learn?"

"My wife and I used to cook together." He doesn't press on. He stopped feeling for his ring on his naked finger some time back.

"Well she taught you well."

Patrick presses his ankle against Lisbon's and keeps it firmly against hers. "Well, I'm also a great learner and what not."

"Yes, you are."

"I was thinking we could get something sweet after this and then on the way home, we could stop by the Laundromat."

"Well that's fortunate cause I had something sweet on my mind." Patrick starts to blush-

"As I was saying, there is this amazing local ice-cream parlour." Lisbon smirks back. They play footsie under the table.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

2

"_You made me ask what is the most effective condom in the market! I told you it was the one that was either the most heavily stocked or the one that was out but no, you had to ask! Let me tell you, I look all cool but thats not so easy!"_

"You've asked before."

"No! _Never._ I know, it sounds irresponsible and you can go all PSA on me later but never!"

"You didn't use anything with your wife?"

"it wasn't needed."

-?

"I can have children, obviously, just that she was on the pill and we only had each other. So."

"You met as children?"

"16. Same thing."

"Aah! I remember 16."

"I remember your 16 as well. Made captain of the marching band. Peter Snoodle was mighty pissed they gave it to a girl that year. Secret? He had the hots for you."

"What? Read my file?"

"Never needed to."

"Liar. So did you get them?"

"Yes. Is this why you got me out. Clever. Folding laundry! Ha! Oh, your Ice-Cream Jolly is ahead."

"Sometimes women are sensitive to pills. I'm gonna have mango."

"Really?" You think Angela was? She never said anything. She asked, once, but I assumed she wanted more kids."

"Maybe she wasn't. Otherwise you'd have known."

"I doubt it. Busy conning people and all that."

"Anyway, I've been on it for so long, I don't think it effects me." Lisbon makes a beeline for Ice-Cream Jolly stand and Jane follows suit, "Honestly Teresa, that punk was really annoying. _Uncle, I don't think you have any need for them_. _Are you sure you don't want to play golf instead." _Jane rants imitating the kid, "zillion exclamation points. entirely offensive. Smug little swine. I wasn't going to buy it but I wa-"

"Hi there! What you folks having today?"

"Something cool and sweet for my friend here. Vanilla Jane?"

"Vanilla."

"And mango for me. One scoop is fine."

Jane gestures with his fingers that he wants two scoops.

Lisbon pays for the ice creams and leaves.

"So have you never bought condoms or have you never used them?"

"With Lorelei, obviously. I found some in the casino and when she spoke to me, I picked them up. There was no way she was interested in me. Knew she was there for a reason so a took a few."

"Few?"

"Once, and it didn't mean anything. Red John was testing me. I had to. And I'm really sorry about that. And I'm sorry about what happened later, before I shot you, and then, on the beach. I meant it but if Red John knew, he would have come after you. He did come after you and I just, I just-" Patrick's voice is broken and he's crying. Lisbon realised that he isn't walking beside her anymore either.

"shushhh!" she soothes him.

"No, Teresa. Let me get this out now." she stands back.

"I am sorry that I have hurt you so much. I can't take that back but I couldn't let anyone know what you meant to me. What you mean to me. I got myself checked after Lorelei. Since then, there's been no one but I can get checked again."

"Okay but there's no need. I trust you. You know that, right?"

"-"

"Against my better judgement!" she jokes which gets a laugh out of him.

"Good! There, so much better", she says to his smiling face. She starts to walk, "Wait, there is something else."

She turns back and takes his hand, "Since we are...umm..on this, I haven't thought about it but what if we don't use contraception?"

"What?"... Lisbon stays silent and it finally dawns on him, "so, are we having the talk now?

"No, we're not. You're right. Stupid idea." She walks ahead. He catches up and takes her hand, "No, not stupid. Are you serious?" He asks quietly and seriously.

"I mean, maybe I'm too old and I've never even thought about it. Just came into my head."

"Well, imagine a little Lisbon. Oh ho ho! This is sweet! Little one with big glasses, banging on about the house with her laminated sheet of rules! Razor sharp tongue and big green eyes, just like her mum. I can't think of anything cuter!"

"or blue. Papa's blue eyes and wild hair and ability to charm all the girls. or boys."

"Nah, green. Not a big fan of the father. The mother is lovely."

Lisbon tilts her head to the side, "Actually, stupid idea. I don't want her or him to have a father who doesn't like himself very much. What if they turn out just like you and you don't like yourself, would you dislike the parts that are like you?"

"Come on, don't be like that. Please."

"It's only castles in the air Jane. I really just gave it five minutes. Can we change the topic?"

"I'm a work in progress Lisbon."

"Dont apologise sweetheart. To me, you're perfect. Who doesn't have baggage and who the hell wants a white picket fence?"

"Share?"

"Your ice-cream. No thanks. I know thats sacred." Lisbon smirks and rolls her eyes at him. He really likes his ice-cream more than most kids she knows.

III

"You ever done it on top of a washing machine?"

"Gah! What do you think of me!"

"What! Its a right of passage. Laundry room. Just asking."

"Ha!"

"Still choosing to not answer that one. I find it interesting." Patrick continues folding the clothes like he doesn't hear her.

III

"Thanks again for doing my laundry."

"Beats you putting it into my laundry like you did last week. I know Patrick, I know!"

"Ha ha! True." They're returning home and walking towards the front porch.

"Tea?"

"uh-hmmmm"

Lisbon retrieves the keys from her pocket to open the door with Patrick behind her, non-committingly agreeing to a cup of tea while playing with her hair and inching closer and closer into the arch of her back.

_"Ring! Ring!"_

"I'll get that." says Lisbon as Patrick snakes his arms around her torso to reach into her right pocket where the house keys are while she goes to fish her phone out of the left pocket.

"Tommy, Hi! What happened?"

"-"

"Yeh, no, I'm still in Austen. I haven't move to Washington."

"-"

"I'm not planning to anymore." Jane keeps silent but he imagines the pauses in the conversation are Tommy freaking out as his sister unveils this unexpected plot. He pushes the key into the door, using that as an excuse to press more closely to Lisbon who is a little short of space, being between the door and him. Smooth, Jane, real smooth.

"-"

"I've decided to remain here. Sorry, I didn't tell you before. It was a sudden and unexpected. I've been trying to call you to let you know." Jane manages to turn the latch and

"-"

"It's over. We broke up."

"-"

"Tommy, wait, no. It's not his fault. I left him, for someone else."

He takes this as his cue to leave, leaving Lisbon alone on the porch. He doesn't want to be reminded about his less than honorable behavior surrounding her departure from the CBI and he wants to avoid seeing her explaining her decision to leave a nice, solid, dependable man like Marcus for an indecent, twisted, and dishonest man like himself. Honestly, some days the list feels so endless, he feels exhausted. So he takes the laundry off Lisbon and heads in the direction of the bedroom where the closets are. From there, he can only hear muted sounds and he really really wishes that they're talking about anything other than _that_.

As Jane walks towards his refuge, Lisbon calls out after him, "Thanks."

"Huh?"

"No, I was just saying thanks to Patrick. He took the laundry off me." She sits down on the porch steps.

"Wait, Patrick's with you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so who is this guy you met?" Tommy doesn't assume its Patrick. Lisbon had been dreading telling him in so many words because Tommy saw her lose her job, her career, her team, and her city over the whole Red John case. And though she had never told anyone in so many words, he also knew that Lisbon had come to see Patrick as more than a colleague and friend. Defending Patrick to her family, who were her biggest supporters and Patrick's biggest detractors, wouldn't be easy. Still she has to carry on. There's no taking back now.

"Well, I didn't meet him."

"-"

"…At least not recently."

"-"

Tommy can be so slow sometimes.

"Well, Tommy… sometimes things change between people, between two people and he -"

"You're talking like I know the guy…." Lisbon doesn't say anything. Honestly, she's scared of what they think. She lets Tommy carry on with his train of thought, hoping he will spit the words out before she needs to tell him. Tommy continues, "Really Reese, I don't know anyone there and how do I know who you work with?" She waits for the penny to drop. "The only guy I know is Jane and -" Tommy goes silent. The penny drops.

After some time, all he says is "Reese"; his tone low and full of warning.

"Yes.", she says as a way of confirming his doubt. She sighs and thinks about how sweetly Jane is folding her clothes right now and she already knows this is precisely why Jane slinked away. He'd predicted Tommy's reaction and had wanted to escape it. Jane is strong and confident in many ways but fragile and broken in so many others. She knows he feels unworthy and uneasy with receiving love, how the negative things people say about him feel closer to the truth than positive things, and how being unloved still feels more familiar to his skin than a hug. When Lisbon told him she loved him, she'd unsettled his world and now he needs to look at her to feel settled again. She wishes she could go to him now and hug him or kiss him or straighten his shirt or fix his hair – the small and unremarkable gestures that reassure him through the day.

Tommy takes a deep breadth and says, "Look, I'm no one to give you the talk but you're responsible. You do the right thing Teresa. If you feel like this is what is right -"

"It's right."

"Okay, but if anything happens, I'm here. I know I haven't been there for you in the past but I will try and be there for you. You're my big sister."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I don't think Jane will hurt me but thanks."

"You know he's not such a bad guy."

"Ha, ha! Really now?"

"Yeh, I mean, he bought Annie a spa package and gave Vanderbilt to me so I would get the bounty and you wouldn't feel guilty about giving him up."

"Ha! You think that's why he did it? You're assuming that I was already thinking about giving him up to you when that happened. I may not have…Or I may have, but only at the last moment." she finishes up her sentence rapidly. Even the thought of giving up a fugitive to her brother makes a feel guilty cop.

"Reese, come on, why else...you're not stupid, even if you prefer the demented kind in a boyfriend." That makes her smile.

"He went to jail for me_." _

"Patrick?"

"Yep. He flouted state laws to get into the plane as it was about to take off to tell me he loved me."

"Wow!"

"Yeh."

"And it worked!"

"Well not entirely. I only told him that I loved him in the visiting cell the next day. The authority kept him overnight. You know him. Always a dramatic air."

"Ha! Well, it's a good thing you have experience raising delinquents then!" Teresa nearly peed in her pants laughing.

"You do understand why my fears are real, right? You love this guy but there have been times where he hasn't been there.. _He *should've* been there for you_." emphasises Tommy.

"I know but I'm happy now and I have ample experience with your kind." She wants to change the subject and fast. She can't go down the rabbit hole discussing Jane with anyone who isn't Jane. He always ends up burning at the stake and she invariably ends up looking like a martyr. It's all very medieval which is ironical sinceJane would lap up the drama.

"How's Annabeth?"

"She's still deciding what she wants to do. She's working in a pharmacy for now. Maybe she will do a course being a physician's assistant. She did well in her A-levels so she might get into nursing school. Take it from there."

They discuss Annabeth for sometime. Lisbon wants her to go to school and offers to pay for her education, at least partially if that is what is needed. Tommy says he will think about it. She helped get Jimmy a job in the DA's office, with filing and stuff. He's coming down to meet her in two months. Dave is getting married so they will all try to make it to Chicago.

Patrick comes out with a cup of coffee for her and hands it over to her but she lets her hand brush his for longer than a moment.

"Wait a sec, Tommy."

She puts her hand on the phone and looks at Patrick, who asks "Did I do good?"

"So good."

He ducks his head to hide his blush.

"You are so cute."

Patrick breaks into a smile. He's still looking at the floor so all she can see are the edges of his eyes going crinkly. He looks up at her through his lashes because he is an asshole and likes to play dirty. He knows she can't resist it when he stares at her like this. She moves into kiss him - "Reese!"

"Aaah! sorry Tommy, big bug in the porch- keeps flapping about me." she makes goggly eyes at Jane as she talks to Tommy, "How's the business?" She motions to Patrick that this may take longer so he just returns to the house.

"I'm selling spare car parts now. I got into this great deal with Larry, my partner. He's got all these connections….", it sounds like another 'get rich fast' plan but Tommy seems excited so she hopes he will stick to this longer than his other ventures.

"Are you coming to Austen anytime? I'd love to see Annabeth and I want you to meet my boyfriend." It's time she make Tommy squirm by talking about boys in turn for all the hell he had put her through over the years.

"Oh my god, Reese! You can't shut up about him!"

"You know what they say, 'Too much of a good thing… is wonderful'."

"They don't!" objects Tommy but he's chuckling at her. He continues, "You always had a thing for Brandon Walsh. Don't think I don't know. He does look like him."

"Jane?"

"Yeh. Blond hair, blue eyes."

"Wow. That's real detailed."

"Reese. Don't deny it. You didn't watch it for the plot."

"Oh, so this is some teenage fantasy. I'm dating a teenager, is that it? … OR the teenager in me is dating an older look-alike Brandon Walsh, which is it?

"So you don't deny it then. Interesting."

"I wouldn't deny it. Never." it's amazing the things people in love become sentimental about and the intimate details they recollect to include in other interactions. She's happy this is a dimly lit porch cause thinking about him makes her grin like an idiot. She looks at her watch and realizes she's been on the porch for nearly an hour. Meanwhile, Tommy is still beaming about his recalling an erstwhile teenage heartthrob.

"Hey Tommy, its getting late. Talk to you soon?"

"Sure"

"Think about coming to Austen. You're always welcome here. Jimmy really enjoyed himself when he came."

"I'll think about it sis."

"Bye Tommy. I love you. Give my love to Annabeth! Take care."

"You too Reese. And it's Annie-" She collects her cup and finally enters the house.

Lisbon clicks the main door shut and walks into her bedroom. Patrick isn't there. She is getting out of her top, and is only in her bra and pants when he enters. She turns to him. Teresa Lisbon is a stunningly beautiful woman who has no idea of her beauty.

"Hey."

"Hey". She can immediately tell that his voice sounds small and hesitant.

"Where did you go?"

"Out back, garden. Since I offered to help you with it"

The mood feels intense. She's feeling sad about Tommy's job plans, and she worries about what her brothers feel about Jane and that Jane in turn, still acts like he needs permission. Doesn't he know he's had her heart all these years. There is nothing she wouldn't do for him. "Thanks for helping with the laundry. Thanks for the day, actually. You know cooking and cleaning works like an aphrodisiac on women, right?"

Patrick plays along, "Does it work?" he sounds disarmingly innocent and naïve.

"In some cases. When the woman loves the man just as much."

"Does she?"

"She does, she really, really does..."

"-"

"Hey, come here?" she asks sweetly. Lisbon can be explicit during sex but when she is coherent and wants him, she always says, "come here, please". Patrick Jane knows what she means and he will never not go to her. So he goes to her. She must be reacting to him approaching her and checking her out because his lips curl into a smirk and his gait slows down to a crawl and he jams his hands into his pocket. He is still Patrick, and Patrick is silly and playful and full of shit, so he continues beaming away this way her until he reaches her and curls his body into himself so he is bent and at her height. When he is eye to eye with her, he gives her an Eskimo kiss. Her heart blushes and blooms. She giggles at his silliness that makes her happy. Of all the things she thinks about when she sees him around the office, it's his silliness and the nonstop effort into making her happy that she made her fall for him this hard.

"You okay?"

"I am now."

"You want to talk about it?"

"He on another ponce scheme. I worry for him you know, and Annabeth needs to go to school. Where is the money going to come from? I offered to pay in case she needs it. What should I do?"

He straightens his body and takes her by her hand and they both sit on the edge of the bed.

"We will come to that if and when he needs the money."

He holds her hand and is playing with it. The motion soothes her nerves. Mostly though, he wants to help her with Tommy if she ever needs help. She doesn't want clarification right now in case she heard that wrong but she knows Patrick. He would've helped her even if they were just colleagues.

"Family is family Lisbon, and as hard as it is, it's impossible to turn your backs on them and you're a great sister. You got Jimmy that job and he seems to be doing fine. Don't stretch yourself so thin."

"He is doing well. He was here some time back. My friend in the DA's office called the other day to tell me he's doing good work, he could still go to school and become a paralegal. It's a good line."

"You're proud of him. You should be."

"Thanks. He really liked Austen."

"Is that Jeffery Archer his?"

"Yeh. He was mentioning it. Must have left it behind."

Patrick hadn't mentioned it before thinking it may have belonged to Marcus and he didn't want to bring his name up without good reason.

"He's clearly interested. Its good he has you. You can give him a gentle nudge. Boys can be a bit slow about things."

"Yes, they can." She smirks.

He knows what she means. Took him a decade to get with the program. He looks at her, in her sports bra and pajamas, her face bathed in low golden light, her pupils still shining with the threat of tears and he doesn't think she can look any more beautiful or sexy. He knows logically that beauty and sexy are two different things but in Teresa Lisbon, they smash together and amplify. He doesn't know where one starts and the other ends and he doesn't know if being in love makes him feel like this. He knows that Rigsby and Cho had cringed at the thought of getting together with her, maybe because she was their boss but to him, she has always been the kindest, sweetest, prettiest person he'd ever met and he's never met anyone nicer to people than she is.

"Dave's getting married. We're trying to get to Chicago for that but I don't know if Tommy will be able to make it. I don't know if I can. I'd like to, for the wedding but it's also where we grew up. I would be nice to visit the old haunts again."

"Hmmm."

"I need to give in a leave application, whenever the wedding is. I'll talk to Dave tomorrow. I haven't even met the girl, Lydia… Do you wanna come?... You don't have to. Really, don't unless you want to. I mean, there's no pressure."

"I haven't seen you this flustered in some time. The Mighty Lisbon blushes, so hard. Oh!"

"I just thought you might like Chicago. I'm babbling, sorry. Just forget it", Lisbon wants the earth to swallow her. They've only been together for three weeks, why is she doing this to her boyfriend?

"I'd love to come."

"Really? This isn't a joke?"

"Nope. I'd love to. See how the whole Lisbon clan operates. Get a few Teresa stories. Should be fun."

"Don't you dare!"

"Too late. You already asked and now you act nonchalant which only shows how much you really want me there."

"You know everything, don't you?"

"Kind of."

"Well, you know what I am thinking right now?"

"I've been thinking about it all day."

She gets up and straddles him.

"You've been thinking of ways to kill you too, huh?" she says as she presses down on his groin.

"You're killing me.", it comes out choked and high pitched.

She looks down at his face, takes his hand, removes his watch and flings it on the bed. She takes his face in her hands and kisses his eyelids and he catches her lips. "I can't play. I've wanted this all day."

She licks into his mouth and lifts her ass so she only brushes past on top of him instead of pressing into each other. She brushes against him, again and again. If her pressure over him was hot, having her brush past his groin with every thrust is even hotter. He doesn't care what he looks like this wild. He braces himself and thrusts his hips upwards to meet her and she lowers herself to meet him. Unlike their morning, this time, dry thrusting isn't enough. When she presses down again, he is a goner, just straining to be inside her. He licks into her mouth until all they don't have the patience to pucker their lips anymore. They're just breathing hot air and salivating into each other's open mouths. She puts her hand on his chest to still him and when she has his attention, she trails it down and fumbles to open his belt. He breathes from his mouth, everything feels alive and too much.

"Please!"

Lisbon crawls off his body, looks up at him through her lashes and unzips him. She pushes his pants lower. There is already a wet patch formed. She ignores it for the moment and instead pushes his sweatshirt up so she can lick and kiss his chest and stomach. She trails down and presses light kisses to his thighs. Finally, finally, when she has him whining, she mouths him through his briefs. He arches into her mouth and his whole body is starting to ache with it and he's willing himself to not die when Lisbon pushes away his briefs and teases his tip by small flicking licks. She flattens her tongue and takes broad sweeping licks before taking him fully into her mouth. He thrusts up and pushes into her mouth before he can stop himself. The sight of her bobbing her head, and her hands playing with his nipple and caressing his body, while she keeps eye contact constant is too much. He knows he's been celibate but all the sex in the world couldn't have prepared him for Lisbon. He comes so fast down her throat. When he returns to his senses, he notices he's been clutching the sheets so tight his knuckled have turned white. Lisbon's hovering below still with mouth open and eyes half closed in concentration and she's shucked off her pants in favor of rubbing herself through her panty.

"Baby, come here" he says in a broken voice as he bends down to lift her onto the bed and lay her on her back. He gives her a few chaste kisses around her mouth.

"I love you. I love you. Thank you." He shoves his hands into her panty and starts to rub circles too. She holds onto his arm and opens her legs further for him.

"Can I?"

"Yes."

"Can I smell you? God, I want to smell you down there. I want to taste you down there. I bet you taste sweet."

Patrick slides down till he is on his knees and starts to smell her through her lingerie.

"You're so pretty."

"Imswetfyou", which sounds a lot like 'I'm so wet for you'.

"Fuck, you smell so sweet. Wanna eat you."

"Behaaah-by! please baby," she begs as Patrick's lowers her panty till it is dangling from one of her ankles, parts her lips and starts to flick her with his tongue. She immediately parts her legs to give him more access and has started to raise her legs in the air, because her legs are already feeling tingly. He holds them up and apart smashes his face into her and starts to lick and suck at her entrance. She lowers one leg to dangle off the bed and the other is draped over his back and he can feel the friction from the lace. How does she not know how sexy she is when all she does is drive him mad. He's started to enter her in small licks. He is surrounded by the smell of sex and her and creamy legs. He doesn't believe in God but this is heaven. Even Catholic Lisbon seems to agree with her constant chanting,

"Fuck me…Fuck me..…"

"-" Patrick doesn't say anything, just carries on eating her.

"Why not?"

"Hang on"

"Why?..Please" She begs and cries.

He wants to prolong her pleasure so he continues to eat her.

"Put your tongue inside. Put it. Put it."

He finally puts his tongue inside her completely. Teresa Lisbon is a shameless moaner. She doesn't care if the Mrs. Corrigan from the next door can hear her. She is in love and her boyfriend and he is the sexiest man on earth for all she cares.

"Aah! yes, god, yes" The fact that his girl just took the lord's name in vain turns Jane on even more. He alternates between licking her clit and fucking her with his tongue and soon switches to taking his two fingers, he licks them and starts to fuck her furiously with his fingers as he works on her clit with his tongue.

Within minutes of this, Lisbon is begging again, "Fuck me!"

"Fuck me... Don't stop... I want it in me", Lisbon could muffle her screams with a pillow but her needy sounds fill the room, if not the whole house so having kids is probably a bad idea but fuck Patrick if making babies with Lisbon isn't the biggest turn on right now.

"fuck me…fuck me."

Patrick pushes her further onto the bed and crawls on top of her, "I'm already hard." Lisbon's face splits into the biggest smile. He holds it in his hand and teases her clit and entrance with it. He teases and teases until she is twitching for it. She keens into the pillow and presses her head into it. Being teased before makes her come the hardest so he teases her even against her pleas, "Oh God, give it to me, give it to me, Patrick please baby". When it becomes unbearable, he enters her. Lisbon doesn't have to say it for him to know her favourite moment is when he finally enters her. He also knows he can get her to say yes to anything when he is entering her so he always has a set of the silliest questions for her.

"Vanilla is the best ice-cream flavour"

"Yes, Yes, Yes!" He pushes in a little more

"Will you dance to spice girls for me?"

"Yes, yes" If someone asked Lisbon what she looked for in a man, she'd say a sense of humour.

"Come to cabo with me."

"Yes, Yes,", pushes in more

"in the silver bucket"

"Yes, okay, yes." He pushes in completely. As deep as she needs him because she hates the silver bucket and he wouldn't really torture her on a holiday.

"I love you."

She opens her eyes to look at him inside her.

"I wanted this from the moment I met you..." He recedes and starts to thrust. "Fuck you're so tight."

"aaaa….aaaaahhhh, baby, baby….yes", she's screaming and digging her fingers into his shoulders.

He kisses her and then proceeds to play and nibble her nipple.

" More, more…"

"I thought you were the sweetest" he kisses her on her breasts, "...the prettiest", her nipples, "..the kindest, gentlest person" he says finally sucking her nipple into his mouth. She holds the side of his face in her hands, so he stops playing and continues, "I'd ever met, and I thought you were so cute in your boots, they made you look taller" he stills his thrusts.

"Patrick, not that I don't appreciate this but when I said more, I meant..." she holds his bum to push him into her more, "this. Would you be so kind."

"Ha ha! Yes, Teresa, be happy to."

He resumes thrusting into her and the catch in her heat feels so good; it feels like a vortex that he can't escape. It feels like they're two rabbits in heat. "You're so good at this. Fuck."

"I pulled my couch to have a view of you." He pulls back and enters her again in one long stroke. From then, he can't manage to string a sentence and all he barks are sounds and grunts. She will have to wait for his first impressions of her till another day. She comes and everything becomes so much tighter and it sends him over the edge. He keeps thrusting into her through her orgasm and comes soon after.

He can hear his heart and hers too as they gasp for air to fill their lungs. After a minute of total blackout, "Sorry for collapsing on you like a dead weight". He rolls onto his side.

"Oh my, you look so small under me, like a small bird... under a big bear! That sounds creepy! Ha ha!"

Teresa just hums in response. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm great."

He's making his post sex dopey love eyes at her.

"I can feel you watching me Patrick."

"Meh."

"It's a bit creepy, honestly." she says as she curls herself into his body and tucks her head into his neck.

"I've heard worse."

"I bet." she digs herself even closer into his embrace.

"I will actually come to Chicago if you want me to. I'm not going to leave you stranded at the airport."

"...I never said anything about you not coming."

"Just in case you were thinking. I will come, you know."

"okay."

"okay."

"Patrick, can you put off the light please?"

"Sure...If you let go of me, I can turn off the light. You snuggle like a koala!"

"oh, okay, you're free to go now... And could you also turn off the lights in the kitchen and stuff?"

Jane leaves the room as Lisbon buries herself into the mattress.

"There done. Come here." She repositions herself to crawl into him.

"hmmmphf."

"Cozy?"

"hmmm. love you"

"pardon?"

"Love-You!"

"excuse me?"

"m'tired...lov'yu"

"say what?"

"_Jaaaane_! tired."..."v'you"

"ha ha!"

she tries to swat him but she misfires. He kisses her head as she readjusts her tummy to fit more snug beside him.

"Love you too." but by then, she is softly snoring.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

On weekdays, she went to the gym and sweated it out like all the other cops she knew but on Sundays, Teresa Lisbon went running. Running made her feel strong, and young and when she could sense their eyes on her and the wind breaking on her stomach, she felt sexy.

That Sunday, Teresa Lisbon woke up at 7AM and went running for an hour; from right after dawn, when the air was a cool blue till the air had turned a pale yellow. As she ran alongside other runners, she thought about all the things to do that day - morning sex with Patrick(she'd promised), meeting Grace and Rigsby who'd flown in for Richard Hibach's case, online shopping for the home and kicking Patrick into starting on the garden.

She realized that her home in Austin was functional but it wasn't homely or comfy as her home in Washington. When she had set up her home in Washington, she had decorated with the intention of settling for the rest of her life, albeit, a small and uninspired remainder of a life. There, she would keep the job as Chief till her retirement from the force as there was no one to distract her or get her fired now.

As she ran past a clump of geraniums, she remembered walking into her home in Washington, with a tired heart and watching the thrashing rain outside and reading letters from the man who'd carelessly shattered her harboured hopes. She remembered sitting on her pot and looking down at the cold, green tiles of her bathroom, spotted with tears, and thinking even if she never responded to his letters, he wouldn't care anyway. Hers had been a life of sacrifice and she had learnt the hard way that she needed to do whatever it took to survive. So Teresa Lisbon found herself casually dating without any plans to commit. Some might think its selfish but when life is cruel and leaves you weak, you start to think your heart is yours to protect rather than for giving away.

When she came to Austin to work with said cruel man, a part of her was still waiting for him to leave her. While her home in Washington had been a refuge, her home in Austin was transitory. But what had been lost was slowly being restored. For all the times the weakest parts of her had made her feel too plain, too tough, too smart and too independent for a partner, she now had someone who looked at her with awe for those exact reasons. For the first time in her life, she felt the freedom to be herself with another. And with the freedom, she found herself taking a few risks. She wore sexy outfits and heels now, to feel good about herself and to look good for him. Running right now, she could feel the muscles grow stronger and renew in her calf and when the cool breeze hit her heated skin and she thought about her body- thinking about her body made her think about it next to her lover's body. Not that anyone one would know but Teresa Lisbon, as she exited the park and ran round the block, was running to her lover, stirring from his sleep in their bed.

Thinking about her boyfriend made the heat pool low in her stomach. She thought about taking a shower but she liked the way running made her feel. The sweat made the clothes cling to her and she felt strong and happy about her body, which in turn made her feel sexy… and at home, she had a man, who was waiting for her and that made her feel wanted.

When she had left in the morning, she'd found herself being spooned by him and had had to extricate herself from his arms. He had tried to bury his head deeper into her head of hair but he let her go with a few grunts. Now she found him star-fished on the bed on his stomach. He was sleeping sweetly, with his mouth ajar and drool forming on the mattress. She crawled onto the bed and began to kiss the back of his neck and shoulders. He shivered under her. It when she started to work on his jaw and leave a trail down his neck that she first felt him rock into the mattress. She trailed her hand down his torso and started to stroke him when he turned his body sideways to give her access. He buried his face in her neck and silently plead in his half-sleep state as she made quick work of it. When he was leaking and close to coming, she dropped her voice into his ear, "Patrick, Patrick, wake up honey."

"huuhgikss…"

"Sweetheart…" she said as she put his head on the pillow and straddled on him to get her point across. She stroked him through his mumbling as he was trying to wake up fully. She stopped stroking him to pinch the tip and he finally took a deep breath and his eyes opened. She dived in to kiss, much dirtier than she was planning and pressed her forehead against his and kept stroking him as she spoke, "Patrick, you wanna?"

"Can you do the work?"

"uh-huh"

"Can we do this now? I can't go again. Won't make recovery time. Old man…FUCK!", she pinched his tip again, "okay, not old. Lisbon!"

"Wait a sec."

Patrick held his breath and keened into the pillow as Lisbon shucked off her tights and panties and situated her entrance above him. It was only when she held him in her hand and directed him into her that he opened his eyes and finally saw her, her strong, tight thighs bracketing his legs. Her skin was rippling and shining because of her workout.

"Take off your top", so she shucked it off and threw is across the room in one move. Patrick had never thought sports bras could be this sexy before Lisbon but he ached to fuck her in them. Right now, he wanted all access to her body so he stored that for another time. "Your bra too." That went somewhere across the room as well. As she was about to descend on him, "Don't you need to prep? You'll get hurt."

"No, no, I want this now. This'll have to do."

He could feel going past the initial muscle and she must have felt it too cause she bit her lip. It was a sign she wanted more so he stayed still as she braced her hands on his chest and took him in completely. He could feel the hot, suction in her body as she rotated her hips around him. His hands roamed her stomach and her soft thighs. Patrick felt Lisbon was so sexy when she was feeling body confident and horny and feral about him. She kept trying biting her lips but she was already panting. He had known for years that exercise flipped her switch but he confirmed it last week when she returned from the gym and he took her against their front door. He wasn't surprised that she wanted to fuck when she had asked so even when she was stroking him and he was half asleep and desperate to come, he knew he had to control himself. He wanted to smell her underwear. He had no idea where some of these urges were coming from other than thinking every lover must love their partner's smell. Teresa tasted spicy, and citric and tangy and being her boyfriend was the best gig he ever had. Right now, he needed to give her whatever _she_ wanted. So as she played with her nipples and pleaded gibberish, he knew she was desperate and edging already so he started to rub her clit and her thighs started to tremble. She continued making high needy sounds and growing increasingly restless. He could feel her insides coiling tighter and tighter. Finally, she lost control and dropped forward and he slid deeper into her, she was tiring out so he started to thrust up into her, at a rapid pace until she started to squeal and her legs started to kick and thrash. She always came before him or rather pleasing her, set him off. While still inside her, he turned so they were both on their sides and he started to thrust into her again. She was already overly sensitive from the first orgasm so he took her leg and draped it high across his hipbone to give him better access and started to fuck her with more speed until she came a second time. He kissed her hard on her mouth as he came down from his own orgasm, "Fuck! You're so sexy!"

When he had come and his cock softened inside her, she whined and he slipped out of her but they remained in that position; Patrick stroking Lisbon's hair off her face and then rubbing soothing circles down her back till her breathing resumed.

"You okay?"

"Hmmm."

I

When she woke up, Patrick wasn't in bed with her. He had covered her with a sheet though. She dug deeper into the covers, laid on her side facing the door and heard him singing in the kitchen. After about twenty minutes of half-sleeping and listening, she could hear the crackling, which meant he was preparing a big breakfast. She got up and put on her sports jersey, the one with "LISBON 99" printed on it. She entered the kitchen, eyes half closed and stood in front of the stove, breathing in the smells of the frying bacon. She felt two arms circle around her from behind, "want some coffee? I put a pot on for you."

"uh-hmmm"

Patrick returned a minute later and handed her a cup. He stood behind her and stirred the eggs on the adjacent stove while the other hand rested low on her stomach. She held the cup in her hand, inhaling the smell of the coffee, taking her time to feel fully awake but she was sleepily leaning her back into his chest so waking up was taking longer. He was singing sweetly still. Something from the 50s. The stuff you hear in circus fares.

"Come on Teresa, time to get up. You okay to stand by yourself?" he said stabilizing her stance, as he moved away and poured the scrambled eggs into two plates and added the rashers of bacon. He added a toast to each before taking the trays to the back porch. Teresa followed him with her coffee and slumped on the chair beside him.

After some time, dead-pan as ever, she said, "The garden looks great, just beautiful," as she gestured with flourish towards the unkempt backyard.

"Have some faith, Teresa. It's coming along. I have a plan."

"Give me some credit. I've known you 12 years. At least put effort into the lie."

She took a forkful of eggs into her mouth and chewed silently. Right in the middle of their circular plastic table, he had arranged few flowers from her garden. She needed to keep him real so she didn't treat with awe but he was an incredibly sweet human. She stretched her arm and held his face in her hand and stroked his cheekbones. He covered her hand with his own and they sat there until Lisbon lifted the flowers and brought them up to smell them.

"So, what do you have planned for me today m'lady?"

"Well, we need to meet Grace and Rigsby at 7 at Oxygen and Cho's meeting us there but I need to get some stuff for the house, furniture and fabrics and you wanted to do the garden. These are pretty. I don't even know what they are-"

"Pink Hydrangeas. Please continue."

"No, that's it! You're my gardener now since you offered and since I'm trying to take you seriously."

"Ah!"

Just then, Lisbon's phone started to ring so she went into the house to get it. Jane opened his phone to see local deliveries that would deliver flowers to the FBI head quarters.

Lisbon returned, "It was Grace, just checking what time we're arriving. Patrick, your foot is on my chair. Would you be so kind?"

When Patrick refused to budge, she slumped into his lap.

"Uff, you're heavy!"

"Suck it up, man-child." she dropped her voice a little lower and cooed into his ear, "And I'm not wearing any underwear", so the next half hour might be torture, depends on how you wanna play this."

"You're SO the bad cop, Teresa."

"I live in hope."

"That's not fair. Have pity on an old pervert like me. You know what your skin does to me! It will stiffen and fall off. Do you want me to be lame two-legged Johnny for the rest of our lives? I will hobble beneath your window every night!"

"You're full of shit" she says and kisses him. He opens his mouth to let her in but she is smiling so hard, it's hard to deepen the kiss anymore.

"Well, since I only have normal circulation left for a short while given the vixen I have hooked up with, we should try that again…"

"We could try, when you, you know..." she cant tell him she liked it when she was falling asleep and losing control and he was still inside her.

"When I what, Teresa?" he teases while taking a forkful of eggs.

She considers flicking him off but she considers her choices while looking at the flowers he has arranged on the table, and she thinks of him being less of an asshole, "when you…" One day she would have to stop blushing, "umm…" He gives her a quick kiss to put her out of her misery. "These eggs are delicious. I put in some cream this time. Always room for improvement, heh?"

"Yeh", she doesn't say much. She always feels shame for being a prude but he looks at her like it doesn't matter to him at all. He continues, "I like this jersey. I always liked it. Useful to ogle you."

"Ah. The last breathing poet."

"Finally." He says, ignoring her comment and ogling her legs peeking from under the jersey.

"I'm happy for you."

After a minute of watching him fondle her thighs, she says "You done here?" forking her bacon and motioning for Patrick to open his mouth. The hope is that he will get fixated on food and not another round of sex. "Sorry, still a bit done in from the morning."

"I wasn't too hard, was I? Sorry. I love you and you look like you do and I feel a little helpless. I didn't break anything? I was celibate for a dozen years and now I've broken my lover. I feel like the Hulk meets sexist pig!" he asks with concern but since it's escalating into being ridiculous, she stops him -

"No. You were perfect."

He closes his eyes and smiles at the sky and she plays with his hair.

After some time, "Patrick?"

"hmmmm…"

She extracts her fingers from his hair and he promptly takes her hand and puts it back on his head.

"I'm dating a dog."

"-"

"I wanted to ask what we're doing for lunch."

"Really, Teresa, I just fed you, no, you're still eating and you're already thinking about your next meal. There's no pleasing you. Vixen eats like a horse!"

"Where have you been all my life?" says Lisbon in the sweetest, most romantic voice possible.

Patrick starts making his doped out love eyes at her again. He likes, scratch that, he loves that she always has a retort but he needs to lessen his blows. He knows he should be kinder, in a general sense and not specifically. "You like that I eat, and I'm strong and that I can beat you if needed."

"You're right, I do!" he laughs out. "I know, you're getting things for your home but if it's alright, can you get a couch like the CBI one we had?"

She knows Patrick is scared of making commitments but by asking her to get a couch for him, he just asked her to think of her home as their home. She could kiss him but she plays it cool, what with the scared, terrified, angst-ridden boyfriend and all, so instead of a kiss, what comes out is - "Sure. That way, I wont feel guilty when I make you sleep on the couch."

"Ah!"

I

Teresa is looking at leather couches online and Patrick has gone to the nursery or at least told her he has (she has to take his word for it) when she gets a message from Abbott apologizing for interrupting her weekend but that they have to report early tomorrow morning because the team may need to head to Beirut on an international security issue. That's not the bad part, the bad news is that they have conceded to collaborate with Erica Flynn on this mission and in exchange, they are dropping the charges of manslaughter against her. If that's not a slap in the face, she doesn't know what is.

She is certain Patrick knew of her feelings for him but he had compared her with Erica and dangled his attraction towards Erica in front of her. It had made Lisbon feel like a fool. She quickly sends Abbott a reply, "Thanks. Will be there. Does Patrick know or should I inform him?" Abbott is equally quick to answer, "He knows."

Lisbon feels desperate. She sends another message, this time to Jane, _"You okay? Miss you."_ She leaves it very open ended. It takes a hellish five minutes for him to answer, and the message reads -

"_Looking at some yellow daisies to plant. And Sunflowers. Maybe lilacs too for your aromatic garden."_ That's too much detail for a message from Patrick. It's a confirmation that he's overcompensating for guilt. It's classic Patrick.

The phone beeps again, _"PS: Miss you too."_

Lisbon closes all the tabs on her browser, leaves the phone beeping on the table and walks out to the backyard to survey her backyard.

Her heart aches and the stuffiness of the indoor feels oppressive. She looks at the backyard and thinks about how she had once thought it was fine until Patrick had showed up and given her grand ideas of replanting and landscaping it. Now it just looks sad. Stupid, stupid, stupid Teresa for thinking she had a partner now, that things would be simpler. She spends the rest of the hour planning what she wants her garden to look like and she feels ill and alone because it was supposed to be a surprise.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, I'm back!" hollers Patrick as he wipes his shoes on the entrance mat. The house is silent. Instead he finds Lisbon pruning the rose bush, which hasn't bloomed in forever.

"ya, well.." sounding pissed and avoiding his gaze. Teresa Lisbon always gets monosyllable and avoids looking at him when she is pissed.

"This is for you" he hands her a cut sunflower, "until the garden is ready."

"This will die in a day. The garden will take weeks, months…"

She turns towards the house. He enters after her to put the flower in some water. She isn't even putting up a fight which means that Jane can't avoid this fight like he was hoping. Might as well just dive into what he assumes what could be the most urgent issue, "Is this about the text from Abbott?"

"It's your business."

"This is about Erica Flynn."

"Great detective work. Well done."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. You want to tell me what brought this on?"

"Why didn't you tell me that you're going to meet her? You wanna tell me what's going on."

"We're going to meet her. You and I, on a job."

"Whatever"

"And I only just found out, this afternoon. Same time you did."

"I asked you – how you holding up- it was an open ended question –"

"- And you call me a control freak! Have you met yourself?"

"You gave me details about the flowers in season, like you even care!"

"I do!"

"You lied."

"I did not lie. I just didn't volunteer information about Erica. Information that's not even important. There were other things in what Abbott said that are more relavent. We'll be going outside the country. If we're lucky, it'll only be just us, and a hotel, preferably with an ocean view. This could be good for us. Did you think that maybe I'd want to come home and talk about it with my girlfriend? Think about it, we could take a few extra days and explore the city or stay in bed and make love all day…" he is trying to segue into sexy but she only huffs her frustration at him, like a little raging bull, "Excuse me if I don't talk about wanting to fuck my girlfriend in a nursery. It's crass."

"You're sick."

"And your imagination is out of control. Why are you making a big deal about Erica?"

"What were you, born yesterday? I was there too when things went down with Erica. You've always had a thing for her. And you practically paraded your attraction towards her in front of me. You knew how I felt. Don't even try to deny it. And you think keeping mum about her return is innocuous information? Whatever. I'm done." It comes out boom, boom boom but the moment she'd said she's done, she regrets it.

Patrick looked shocked. "You're done?" his voice was tittering between hurt and anger.

"Patrick, I didn't mean it."

"Lisbon, I understand most of the time, I screw up but everything is *not* my fault and you can only hang someone so many times. I'm leaving… I'll meet you at the restaurant." He slams the door on his way out.

She doesn't call after him; she simply falls to the floor and sobs. Instead of fighting for them, he'd walked out. A part of her was still second guessing him, fearing he would run. Its what he's always done and she is always left to collect the pieces. Earlier though, she just lost sleep but now that she has known his love, she doesn't know how she will collect herself in his wake. It takes seven minutes for Patrick to come rushing into the bedroom where he finds her in a near fetal position, still crying.

His knees come crashing on the floor and he scoops her in his arms, "shhh…shhhh…sweetheart, … I love you, talk to me. I need you to talk to me…. Believe it or not, I'm not actually a mind reader", which actually extracts a laugh out of her. He also starts to stroke circles on her wrist to soothe her, he knows it's a dirty trick but he needs all the tricks he has right now. He just needs her to love him again. There is no recovery from a break up. He knows without Lisbon, death is certain.

He picks her up till they are both on the bed, and he is spooning her from behind. He wants to go get her water but her body is still shaking with sobbing and she needs him to be physically close to her. He needs this too. He holds her tight until her crying subsides completely, "where'd you go? You came back fast.", She sounds monotone, tired and defeated.

"I went up till the driveway and then I realized I had no where to go. Without you, where would I go in this world? There's no place for me."

"South America. Beirut."

"Sweetheart, this can't be about Beirut. Please talk to me. I'm right here. Say what you want, I'm not budging Lisbon. Besides, don't you know, I'm certifiably deranged, you can't scare me away."

"True. I have taken in a mongrel."

"Ha ha! Well, will you tell your mongrel what's happening in that crazy little head of yours?"

"Patrick" it comes out slowly like a warning as a way of letting him know that this is a serious talk. He raises his head and kisses the side of her cheek as a way of telling her that he's listening and that he is still in this.

"Whew…" it comes out long, she takes another deep breadth and starts, "I didn't fall for you when Pike came round. It's been this way for years now. You forget I'm a cop -"

"—I don't. Sorry, carry on."

"Anyway, I can deduce too and I know you knew how I felt and you still dangled and courted beautiful women in front of me for years. Kristina Frye, Erica Flynn, Lorelei Martins, Crystal Harris…You let Erica get away, Lorelei get away…and I get Lorelei, I do but you didn't need to shove her in my face. It would've have been okay if you were clueless but you knew and you did it anyway, sometimes it felt like your words and actions were encouraged by how I felt about you."

"First, I told you before, many times, I never had any feelings for Lorelei or Erica or Kristina. I told you that. Sometimes you just have to believe me Teresa. I'd tell you to have faith but you know I didn't care when Erica was arrested or when Lorelei was killed. That's proof and you should know since you're a cop and a damn good one at that."

"You didn't have to flaunt it in my face though."

"I thought I did and I'm sorry about that. I knew you had some feelings for me, I may not have known the depth of them but I knew you and I knew that they could become deeper but given the situation I was in, I couldn't let you go there. You had already gotten too close. Red John knew_._ He _knew_." It sends a chill inside him just thinking about how close Red John came to killing Lisbon. He tucks himself closer to Lisbon, "I had to prod you away, just so you kept a distance, and I used Erica and Lorelei to push you away. In that, I have been cruel but also kind. It may have saved you but I hurt you, and I'm sorry but I never felt anything for them."

"We met on the job."

"Huh?"

"We met on the job. You were my consultant because I'm a cop, and you're an idiot. I can defend myself."

"Thats no guarantee against a raging lunatic and even if nothing happened to you, I was a loose canon. I could have been killed anytime, got life term, exiled…that actually did happen, and then what? we're together but we can never _be _together in any real way. You'd have spend your life as wife of a jailbird. That's not a life Teresa. You deserve better."

"Its not for you to decide what I deserve."

Patrick keeps silent, it wasn't the first time he had heard her say this, she continues, "you would've managed a deal, you always do. You did this time, didn't you?"

"I did and I came running back for you." Its Patrick's turn to take a deep breadth now, "Last night, when I said I've wanted you for a long time, I know we were…but I meant it and I don't mean past two years. I've loved you for years. I almost told you a few times…"

"—and took it back"

"And took it back. I am really so, so sorry for that Teresa, I am. I would take THAT back if I could. I'm an idiot but that's not new territory."

He always makes her smile, even in the saddest of times. "No, its not new but I can't keep holding you to what happened years ago."

"I thought you were so beautiful, and cute as a button and perfect for me- intense, smart and kind…and good- too good for me - too complex for others."

She only rolls her eyes but he cant see her face.

He continues, "Eh. So - I - may - have -been -overcompensating." He says that hesitantly, unsure of how she will react. After a beat, he nudges her shoulder with his hand till she looks at his face, settling on her back. Her fingers play with each other over her chest, he stills them, and says, "Sam Bosco knew that. He knew I was crazy about you but too scared to take action… you seem to have that effect on men. Who knows how many more there are like us - men secretly in love with the great Teresa Lisbon. Anyway, he told me to get my head out of my ass and do something about this. I just told you the part of him wanting me to kill Red John. Information given prior to that was sensitive at the time." He said gesturing between the two of them.

"Shitty business he went." Her voice breaks and she sniffs. Patrick doesn't say anything. He let's her cry and with the cuff of his shirt, he keeps wiping the line of tears that are forming from her eyes to her temple. Finally she turns towards him and buries her face into his chest, ensconced in his embrace.

"And I wasn't that great a con. It's embarrassing. Grace and Rigsby have some bet going I think. I'm sure they'll laud it over us this evening. We're still going, right?"

"Yes. And I knew…but I didn't. I may have had an inkling, now and then, when you were out of it."

"Yeh?"

"Your come- ons were shameless…and terrible. Every time you were high and out of it."

"Ouch!"

"Okay, one was sweet. I'll give you one. You called me Bella Donna – beautiful lady – you can have that. The rest, you're real lucky that I have to live with them and you don't remember."

"Belladonna. Il mio Belladonna. My beautiful woman" He says as he wraps his arms tighter around her. As he is falling into slumber, she extricates herself from his arms, and says, "Patrick, you know what you said about taking some days off in Beirut, did you mean it?"

"Yes, I did.

"Good."

"Every word, especially the staying in bed. We need to have a no clothes policy."

"I'm serious."

"So am I. It's a beautiful thing, Teresa. You of all people would understand we have to make up for lost time. One full day without clothes is like one month of intimacy."

"That's a conservative limit, I'd thought its one day of intimacy" Patrick is certain she's kidding but being with Lisbon is a constant re-evaluation of everything.

"Close your mouth honey, a fly will get in."

They're still wrapped in each other when she says, "We could look at couches together if you want?" It's been fifteen minutes on the bed, with the two of them sighing into each other. Her throat feels parched and her eyes feel weighty and sting from the crying.

"Can we have sex and pass out from dehydration instead, like normal people?"

"Do you want to see me bathed and dressed in that green one you got me or do you want me to go in this. Come to think of it, I am thirsty…" she turns and gets up from the bed, Patrick checks out her body, "This is nice. This works. Come here—" he lunges his arms forward to grab her,

"Down boy!"

"-"

"I'm going to bathe. You're welcome join me. Dirt on your clothes is your chosen style statement but I wanna wash your hair." She'll swear she isn't the sentimental type but somehow she says things more intimate than sex. "I'm game. Lisbon's washing my hair! Come to Daddy!"

"Patrick, no. Never."

"No Daddy? Not your thing?...eh, fair enough. Lisbon's washing my hair!"

II

"I love you." Patrick says when he opens his eyes to see Lisbon's brushing the wet, shampooed curls out of his face.

"Love you too." she answers and raises herself on her toes for a quick soapy kiss.

"So you love me again?"

"I never had a choice. Stand under the shower please."

"Yes, Ma'am." says Patrick with a thick southern drawl

II

"Hey, did you eat when I was away?" They're still in the shower and Patrick's soaping her body when he asks.

She looks down at her stomach, "Why, do I look fa-?"

"No!" He knows enough to answer that question without a moment's pause. "Just hope you've eaten something since breakfast."

"I ate. Made myself a salad."

"You look hot, by the way. I knew you'd be soft but I hadn't imagined this." He's taken to stroking slow hypnotic circles on her stomach, and they're getting lower and lower until her breathing becomes shallow and her forehead falls onto his chest. She takes a few breaths to calm herself down when he starts to drop kisses onto her shoulder. It doesn't stop her from wanting to caress his abdomen. Thinking the same thing, Jane sucks his breath, "Are we doing this? What time do we have?" she asks putting her hands over his as he proceeds across her stomach towards her legs. He looks at the clock in the bathroom, and he really, really wants to lie but he cant, not today. "Fifteen minutes to get out the door." He doesn't call her pocket rocket for no reason. She spends 20 seconds washing all the soap out and grabbing a towel before she dashes out of the bathroom.

"Shit!" the back of his head hits the tile in defeat. He feels a trickle of water from the shower nozzle over his right shoulder.

II

Lisbon's driving them to the restaurant when she finally admits it, "Sorry for the mess this afternoon."

"Don't be. You had to let it out. I needed to hear some things. You needed to hear some things."

"Still. I feel bad."

"We both went at it, and not in a good way."

"Oh, Hush!"

"When will you stop swatting me? Do I look like a fly to you? Some things never change."

"You look like a handsome fly tonight."

"You think I'm handsome?"

"Patrick", she pauses, "I've wanted you from the moment I saw you."

"Ha Ha! Very funny, Teresa. Now you're making fun of me."

"Sadly, I'm not."

"Oh"

"Yeh."

"Wow, we're just really bad detectives."

"You bet on it, partner."

"il mio compagno, la mia bella donna" {_my_ _partner is my beautiful woman}_

_"-" _

_"_You know we missed one there."

"Huh?"

"Opportunity for make up sex. Can't wait to have make up sex with you."

"From the sublime to the ridiculous."

"Ha! Ha!"

"Patrick, A. Don't do this when I'm driving unless you want to kill us both and -

"I don't want us to die."

"And B. We've had make up sex before. Our first time."

"First time? That wasn't make up sex. That was 'I love you sex". He can't help but chortle.

"Maybe the airplane hijack, holding cell, love confessions overshadowed the part where we fought and made up, but it was still make up sex."

"I have to say, it was mind glowingly good one. We should fight more."

" You bet on it, Paddy! I'm sure the opportunities will present themselves plenty."

"Sigh. Wish I could turn back time and just...(he whispers the rest in her ears till she squeaks and turns beetroot red)", Patrick returns to his seat and looks so damn happy with himself.

"Oh, you are terrible. I'm gonna kill you, I swear I will and no court of law will try me. They'll give me a medal for it."

"So I take it you liked what I just offered. Oh my! I can never look at you the same again! Ha ha!"

Teresa is smiling too. His incessant, childish need for her attention doesn't quite make sense, even in his head. Sometimes, his thought process is just a random sequence of events that will secure her attention in the quickest time. He knows she is driving and yet he marches on, "No, think about it, Teresa, we had it all today- Jealousy, hurt, anger, tears, sex, vows, love, love, love..." His voice turns sweet, "Sweetheart, do not love too long: I loved long and long, And it grew to be out of fashion. Like an old song."

The road before them is clear. She holds her left hand over her heart, looks at him and says, "My man."

He looks back and answers softly, "Your man."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

III

"You look great in that dress by the way." Lisbon purses her lips until her cheeks dimple. She's trying to not smile too widely at the person who didn't leave her with much choice other than wearing this freakishly high-neck dress.

He keeps looking at her, "I was right, the green really brings out your eyes."

"This is about you being right… How did I not see this coming?"

"Well, you look lovely nonetheless"

"Thanks"

" … as I knew you would."

"You know, for a moment there, Paddy, I almost felt bad about being short with you. God, this is such a long drive. I'm going to kill Grace!"

"I know you're nervous about meeting them. You were their boss - Saint Teresa.' Now, you feel exposed and that makes you uncomfortable, which is making you crabby."

"Oh really that's what's bugging me? You want to drive the next five miles?"

"Meh." he brushes her comment off but he continues looking at her in profile as she looks at the road ahead.

"Fine", she relents, "What is this about then? Whats making me crabby?"

"You're in love with me." He says softly and then looks out of his window. She turns to look at his view too. It's of trees passing by. They're all the same variety of eucalyptus; all planted in one row to line the road, all the same height and type. The inside of the sterile FBI headquarters is more exciting. He keeps looking at those damn trees for the next minute so she begins, "I'm terrified."

"-"

"I-I- guess this is what is must feel like to bring your boyfriend home, not that I would know."

"-"

"-But this is not about _you_."

"I know, but it also is." It's the first time he has said anything since she's started trying to explain her moodiness.

"Maybe, but only part. I've always been so independent. And like we've established, pretty guarded about how I feel…there wasn't anyone ever to speak of when I was in CBI and anything they know about my childhood was the office grapevine."

He looks at her incredulously.

"Oh hush, not you! You know stuff cause you're a mind reader and a snoop."

"Ha! You make it sound simple."

"Anyway, when your team thinks you're tough as nails and a hard-boiled egg-"

"Ha ha! You're not an eg-"

"I meant hard-boiled egg, like a type- a person with no emotions. It's Bogart."

"Oh."

"What did you watch growing up, loonytoons?"

"Ooh! Getting prissy again!"

"Sorry. Anyway, as I was trying to say, I was this tough in-control cop, and their boss and this…" she gestures between them, "…is a slight departure."

"They might put it down to your lapse of judgment. I won't blame them…and I would care but it got me you. So, Hah!"

"It's early dementia."

He chuckles.

"Anyway, you're still a tough cop, which reminds me, you look really nice in your tight bulletproof vests. I've never told you that before but you do."

"Must've some damsel in distress complex."

"Maybe. Maybe I just like you in contoured clothing."

"If I can finish so I don't feel bad, I don't want them to ask questions. They'll get all personal, what if it makes them think differently about me?"

"I'll deflect all questions. Promise. And they respect you. You were just telling me the other day how Cho stayed on the job just to work under you. I've seen it myself over the years. Honestly, you're adored. How could they not? But you're right, you're nervous. I get it, I'm not exactly boyfriend material."

She really hates it when his voice becomes small. "Stop! Will you! Not everything is about you! I'm supposed to be this cool, calm, level headed and they they'll know how I pined the entire time."

"You pined for me?"

"I'll tell you all about it next time you're inside me" she replies teasingly.

"Ugh, why are you torturing me."

"You're not letting me finish!"

" I always do. You know that!"

"Not that but thank you but not that."

"You're welcome, Teresa, please continue, but it is a little about me."

"Well maybe, but just a little and only a little, what I'm trying to say is - everyone thinks of me as poker, and you sort of sma-"

"You're Russian roulette."

"huh?"

"You've never been just poker."

"-"

"You're a romantic but if you don't want people to know, I can spin it in favor of early dementia. I live with you, it's looking plausible."

"Very funny Patrick."

"Teresa, A.) There is no point in running now, we're together and its too late to take that back. People have already decided how they feel about it. They invariably do. It's pointless worrying about them and B.) Anyone who knows you knows you are bravest, kindest, most caring person. You're not giving them enough credit if you think they don't wonder about how you really feel about things. They want you to be happy. You look happy Teresa, and if you think being with me is an indication that your heart rattles, is it so bad that people know that?"

"Aww. you're a puppy."

"Teresa, could you please stop for a moment."

"Okay, I'll go slow to catch the next red light."

As the car stops, Patrick turns in his seat and holds her face in his hands, "This feels different."

"I know."

"We don't have to tell anyone anything we don't want to. Teresa Lisbon is a wild romantic fool, and she can't cook but I'll take both those things to my grave if you want. Personally, I think they should be watching you closer. Take it from me. 12 years, best seat in the house. But we don't have to tell anyone anything. It's not anyone else's business. So if they ask, we'll take it one question at a time. Okay? And if there is anything you don't want to talk about, it's on me."

She smiles, "I should collar you and show you off"

"Down girl!"

"I could! You're say the perfect things, as a present to me?"

Patrick nods with her. She segues her grin into a kiss.

"Perfectly wrapped present that no one else will ever see. Is that yours, secret I mean? You can follow. Patrick Jane is disciplined."

"I'm not. I only listen when I want. I'm letting you lead because I want you to."

Lisbon flinches out of his embrace,

"Noooo! Don't go."

"I'm not. The light is going to turn soon."

"Oh. Can we just turn back? I wanted to show you the lawns I took pictures of around here."

She starts the car, "This once, Patrick, we can go home and look at the couches too. You want to stop by your bucket for clothes or is Hawaiian cowboy still in town?"

"Caribbean Casanova, Hawaiian cowboy, what else?" He's happy she doesn't sound upset. "They're all still in town but we could stop by, if its not too late. I wanted to pick up my watch and a jacket. I can do it tomorrow morning too."

"Nah, lets just do this. Its on the way home."

As they approach parking, he croons, "_I don't need company, in the company of you. I don't need love, you're love will do…/_

"_Cause I've got you. You've got me, and that's all we need…" _

Lisbon looks at him, wanting him to continue. "Just the good bits. The rest is salad, Lisbon."

"Aww…Poet till his dying day. Anyway we're here."

"Ready!"

"Bring. It. On."

"You go girl! Woot woot!"

II

Lisbon: "Hey Grace! You look great. New haircut?"

Grace: "Ahem. Not exactly. You look fantastic as well. Happy. New haircut?"

Lisbon: "Ha ha! Not exactly."

Patrick: "Shall we, ladies?"

II

Rigsby: "Cho's running late. Strange."

Grace: "Is he dating anyone? Maybe he has someone. Not that I'd ever know, Cho's face isn't exactly a rainbow of emotions."

Patrick looks at Lisbon, is this what double dates will look like from now on? Hooking other people up? All he instead says is, "He might have someone soon."

Lisbon looks at Patrick wanting to know what he is talking about. Knowing him, he has probably looked into employee files or something.

Patrick: (hushed) "What? The recruitment files were lying around. I took a peak."

Grace: "I liked Summer."

Rigsby: "Hey! Me too!."

Grace: "I love you!"

Rigsby: "I love you too!"

To Lisbon and Patrick's surprise, they share a kiss that is more passionate that most people share in fine dining restaurants. They really feel their age some days.

Rigsby: Anyway, what about you two. We heard. Hijacking a plane. Police lock up. FBI transfers. We know Jane was heading for a shitstorn, sorry boss, but this was like a movie!".

Rigsby doesn't stop at wagging his eyebrows for effect.

Grace: "Yeh, give us the goods. What was it, pent up emotions for over a decade?"

Yep, Lisbon thinks. This is what double dates must look like. Sweet hell.

Patrick: "Something like that."

Lisbon: (softly) "Yeh, you could say that."

Rigsby: "So?" He can't actually proceed with the question since the cheese nibbles he's been eating have made their way into his nose.

Lisbon looks to Patrick.

Patrick: "Well, let's face it, I've loved her for years. Any man would be out of his mind not to. Sorry, no offence guys. So anyway, I told her how I felt. I begg-"

Lisbon: "You did not, beg, I mean."

Patrick: "That's splitting hairs Teresa. I breached security, broke my ankle on the way to your plane that was taking off, and sobbed like a baby. The begging is implied. Anyway, Lisbon listened to me. Finally, after all these years, without any real fight."

Lisbon: "When do I not listen? Right guys? I'm just lucky this time I didn't land in jail!"

Patrick: "Being incarcerated makes you appreciate fresh air Teresa. I highly recommend it."

Lisbon: "Ha ha ha! You're full of shit."

Patrick: "Ha ha! Always."

Lisbon: "Check it. Not always."

Grace looks at them like she doesn't understand what's happening. Is this how her ex-boss flirts? Bossing people about and is Patrick Jane, capable of making all girls weak in the knees, actually blushing?

Rigsby: "Ahem. Ahem. Cho's here. Here Buddy! Cho! Here!" Rigsby is waving like a lunatic.

III

Grace: "Meeting the DA seems pretty cut and dry. They'll just take our testimonies over what happened and how."

Cho: "Yeh, I reckon that too. They're not gonna come down hard on you guys for bringing down a man who killed good agents, regardless of how many rules were broken."

Cho pointedly looks at Jane.

Patrick: It was a tense situation besides I'm just glad that we're all safe… You guys are like family to me. All I've had for the past 12 years. Thank you. I know I don't say it enough."

Rigsby: "Its cool, mate. Glad we could be there."

Grace: "Yes. Would do it all over again."

Cho: "same here."

Lisbon: "I have to say, the FBI gig is very very nice but I really miss you guys."

Cho: "Yeh, Rigs, the tacko trucks are pretty good in case you're still wondering. Sorry Grace, I got nothing for you."

Grace: "Not _nothing_!"

Grace's chirpiness is chipping away at Teresa cause she knows that's coming. She continues, "I mean, I did win a bet and I've yet to collect."

Patrick has been quiet the entire evening. Aside from Lisbon, he'd always tried to maintain some distance from the team and never bothered to get involved in the daily mundaneness of the job because he wanted to avoid getting attached to them and remain tied to his mission. Neither does he want to particularly recall years filled with anger and guilt. So he is holding Lisbon's fingers under the table as all the other cops reminisce. Suddenly, he feels her tugging his fingers closer to her.

Patrick: "Huh?"

Grace: "Come on boys! Pay up. Cho, you said they'd never get together and my dear husband was convinced that boss never felt anything until I convinced him otherwise."

Patrick cuts in, "How much is it now, the bet, 20 dollars?"

Grace: "Please. 200 dollars. We all pooled 50 each. Ron pooled 50 too but I think he secretly had a thing for boss so he was rigged to lose this."

Lisbon: "Stoppp! He wasn't."

Looks at Jane, "He _wasn't_."

Patrick: (Hushed) "I find your denial interesting. I told you there's a club of us, who have a thing for eggs." Looks at Grace, "Ooh! Whatchya planning to get with your stash Bonnie?"

Rigsby: "Knowing my wife, a day in the spa."

Patrick: No, she has her eye…on something more personal. Something functional. A -"

Grace: -

Rigsby: -

Patrick: Congratulations! Grace, you're expecting. Wait, let me guess…It's a girl. Another girl, congrats. Daughters are lovely. Well done Rigsby!"

Rigsby: "We were waiting to tell you all, until after the third month. Old wives tales and all that."

Lisbon: "Aww, congratulations. So, how many months?"

Cho: "Totally fine if you don't want to say."

Lisbon: "Oh shush!"

Cho: "No seriously guys, all the best! To the proud parents and beautiful family. I hope you grow together."

Patrick: "That's a lovely toast Cho. Any baby names yet Grace?"

Grace: "Well Maddie is 3 now and Ben is 6, so without giving away much, we canvassed for names. Minnie Mouse and Superman are strong contenders."

Rigsby: "Kids! But seriously guys, it means a lot that we told you first, well we didn't but-"

Patrick: "Can't hide a pregnant woman's glow."

Lisbon shares a look with Patrick that is of sheer gratitude for steering the conversation away from their personal lives. He played dirty for her but its not new territory either. Knowing him, he probably finds this all romantic.

III

Cho: "We might be meeting Erica Flynn again. It's a secret so this is just between us. Thought you guys might be interested."

Grace: "Erica?"

Cho: "We have an operation in Beirut. There's a meeting tomorrow."

Lisbon: "Ya, we heard. Are you coming?"

Cho: "Don't know yet."

Rigsby: "Beirut, exciting."

Patrick: "That's what I say!"

Cho: "International fraud. We'll be working with Erica Flynn. Now we finally know where she ended up"

Grace: "I never liked her."

Lisbon: "Me neither."

The boys look at the girls and just smile because want to snort but they can't if their lives are precious to them.

Patrick: "Well, we don't know anything yet. Luckily, we may not see her. If we have to, we have capable agents who will bring her in if need be."

Grace: "Make sure, they're all women. Men find her irresistible."

Rigsby: "And women."

Grace: "Women have better taste. Men can't say no."

Patrick: "Not if they're self absorbed, deluded fools. She's a petty thief and a murderous. I'll be happy when she finally faces justice."

Sometimes Patrick Jane is righteous and serious at whim. They've all seen it. He looks at Lisbon and she winks back. Suddenly he feels lighter and forgets why he was overdoing it.

Rigsby: "Well, you have, uh, what was her name, the other agent?"

Cho: "Agent Kim Fisher."

Rigsby: "Yes."

Cho: "No."

Rigsby: "okay then, who?"

Cho: "No, I meant she won't be there. Broke her back bad on a shootout. Needs to rest for least 3 months. She might leave for good."

Rigsby: "Shame. She seemed nice."

Grace: "yeh, bit by the book but nice. It's nice to have another woman in an all male work force. You got along well?"

Lisbon: "I know what you mean. we weren't friends but it was nice having her around.."

Patrick: "UGH!"

Grace -?

Rigsby -?

Lisbon realized she needs to respond to the questioners looking directed at them. Patrick doesn't bother to qualify his adverse reaction to Kim's name being brought up. So she says, "Jane doesn't like her. Don't ask. He won't tell. I think something happened on the island."

Patrick: "_Nothing. Happened."_

Lisbon: " I didn't mean it like that. She was sent to bring him in and she didn't tell him she was a fed."

Cho: "Jane left her on the Mexican border on a mission. She was furious. Heard her complaining to Abbott."

Patrick chuckles, "Petty tyrant."

III

Patrick: "what you getting for dessert?"

Lisbon: "The chocolate mousse looks good. I'll go with a classic."

Patrick: " I'll have a cannoli. I've become quite fond of them."

Lisbon: "Uh-huh. Riiight. He wooed me with cannolis."

Patrick: "There are kids at the table!"

Lisbon: "Ha ha! See what I mean. _Such_ a boy. Wanna pack something for home?"

Patrick: "Let's see which we like best."

Lisbon notices that the others are busy ordering their desserts, "Order mine, just need to use the restroom."

Patrick: "Woof! Woof!" He barks because he thinks its funny that she calls him her mongrel.

Lisbon: "Stay! No, Stay!..." Truth is, she actually finds this funny too. Mushy brain is a side effect of liking someone too much.

Grace: "Hey, you're going? I'll come with. Need to use the loo too."

Lisbon: "Oh. Okay."

III

Lisbon: "Okay, I'm done. See you out."

Grace: "Wait, can I ask you… (oh god, its coming and where is he when you need him the most?)…something personal?"

Lisbon: (beat). "Ask."

Grace: "what's he like…you know… in bed? I'm really happy with my husband. Obviously, since we're making baby number 2 but Jane has always been different. Not odd but he isn't like most people but he can read minds.

Lisbon: He can't actually -

Grace: "You know what I mean. It'll be weird to not think about that. In my defense, girls in CBI were curious too."

Grace is rambling and Lisbon would put her out of her misery but she would rather suffer a shootout right now. Besides, Patrick's has told her, emphatically so that this between them is not anyone else's business.

Lisbon: "Some days I wish I were still your boss!"

Grace: "ha ha ha! Oh well. I tried."

Teresa Lisbon has never been one to gloat but maybe if Erica Flynn asked the same question, she might address the question more directly. She leaves Grace looking at her retreating back and waves behind her at her as exits, "I'll catch you outside."

Grace: "So, that good, huh?"

III

"Hey!"

"Hey!" (She gives him a quick peck as her enters the car)

"Got your watch? Where'dyou leave it?"

"Bathroom"

"Home?"

"Home."

III

"Nice seeing the old gang again."

"Yeh. You were quiet. Thanks for rescuing me by the way."

"Hmmm….Grace ask a lot of questions."

Lisbon chuckes, "I know. She cornered me in the bathroom. Asked if you were good in bed. Her words. I swear."

"What did you say?"

"I told her it was like taking communion with God."

"Hmmm…. (_after a beat_). Wait, you're lying. I almost fell for it but you're lying. Liar! You believe in God, you'd never say it even if you believed it!"

"Oh, So you're God, now?"

"What did you say, tell me, really."

"In the interest of your vanity, I will tell you. I told her - nothing. I told her to quit but she assumed I was just playing coy cause you're just that good.

"But?"

"But what? Its true."

"No one will ever belief I'm the bashful one."

"No. I'll take that to my grave."

"That and my heart."

"Sop." Lisbon still always shuts down before she lets herself feel. Patrick has just learnt to wait for the second reaction. It comes soon enough, "for real?"

"For real. Mine. Bosco's. You heard Grace, poor Ron's too! You're just a petty thief!"

"Poor Ron's too? Nothing petty about that."

III

"You wanna get to bed early? Long day tomorrow."

"Okay. I was hoping to get some nookie but one and a half isn't bad."

"Nookie? One and a half? Are you even legal?"

"A.)Nookie. Slang for sex. I was there too in the 90s and B.) I finished up in the shower. One moment you were there, and naked and asking and then you skipped away. What is a man to do? You missed it. Don't be jelly now, woman! Oh snap!"

She's seen him sliding into this personality before. Patrick makes her cry but he also really makes her laugh, full body stomach hurting laughter. She's still smiling a few minutes later when he sobers up, "well, I survived this evening because of the half."

"I've given birth to a depraved fiend."

"It's the 10 years of pent up emotions. Don't you know, girl!"

So, still not sober.

III

"Hey, do you want a poem?"

"Sure."

"-"

"Well, come on!"

"When we're home Teresa. Don't want to distract you. If you crash the car and I di—"

" —If you die, I'll kill you. I'm not joking Patrick."

"That makes no sense!"

III

_(Patrick recites verbatim)_

_In spring of youth it was my lot_

_To haunt of the wide world a spot_

_The which I could not love the less-_

_So lovely was the loneliness_

_Of a wild lake, with black rock bound,_

_And the tall pines that towered around._

_But when the Night had thrown her pall_

_Upon that spot, as upon all,_

_And the mystic wind went by_

_Murmuring in melody-_

_Then-ah then I would awake_

_To the terror of the lone lake._

_Yet that terror was not fright,_

_But a tremulous delight-_

_A feeling not the jewelled mine_

_Could teach or bribe me to define-_

_Nor Love-although the Love were thine._

_Death was in that poisonous wave,_

_And in its gulf a fitting grave_

_For him who thence could solace bring_

_To his lone imagining-_

_Whose solitary soul could make_

_An Eden of that dim lake._

"You're right. I would have crashed it."

Beside her, Patrick is silent on the bed.

She opens her eyes, her boyfriend is looking at her and his soft, gentle eyes have been cast in sadness again.

"Hey. The poem was beautiful. You're special, you know that right?"

"-" He remains silent. First, she wipes down his tears, "Patrick, everyone needs someone to talk to."

Then she kisses his eyelids, "I'll listen, no matter what you tell me."

Her hair falls over his face, "and I'll let you hide in my hair." which makes him chuckle.

And then, she she lifts the T-shirt she's wearing and wipes his nose with it, "My citrusy fruity hair, you'll always have a place there."

"Oi, Lisbon! You're rhyming again!"

"Oh, you Silly Billy!"

"Two in a row!"

"Ha ha! What will I do with you?"

"Whatever you wish."

THE END.


End file.
